(Key findingsSpecialists in raising awareness of biodiversity values identified three indicator options relevant to the UKs obligation to report on Aichi Target 1 of the Convention for Biological Diversitys Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, as well as other EU and national commitments:Awareness the proportion of people who are aware of the term biodiversity and its meaningConnection - the proportion of people who feel connected to the biodiversity within their environmentBehaviour / Response the proportion of people that are taking action to support and protect nature. This could be measured by one of five sub-options:C1. Wildlife gardeningC2. Eco-schoolsC3. Citizen science (Biological Recording)C4. Membership of conservation organisationsC5. Behaviour / Response options bundleData for all three indicator options could be obtained from existing household surveys, either through the use of directly relevant questions, proxy questions, or the introduction of new questions. However, these surveys vary widely in sample size, frequency and scope across the UK constituent countries and so consideration would need to be given as to how data may be aligned. A further option for obtaining data would be to create a bespoke survey that is undertaken across all four countries on an agreed cycle. Introducing new questions or creating a new survey would have associated costs, ranging from minor (

Department for the Environment Northern Ireland. (2002). Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy. DOENI. Available at:

Goddard, M.A., Dougill, A.J. & Benton, T.G. (2010). Scaling up from gardens: biodiversityconservation in urbanenvironments. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 25(2) 90-98.

Haines-Young, R. & Potschin, M. (2010). The links between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. In D. Raffaelli & C. Frid (Eds.). Ecosystem Ecology: a new synthesis. Cambridge University Press:Cambridge.

HM Government (2011). The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature. Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. TSO (The Stationery Office), London, UK. Available at

JNCC and Defra (on behalf of the Four Countries Biodiversity Group). (2012). UK Post-20BiodiversityFramework. July 2012. Available at:

National Biodiversity Network Gateway (2011) What is the NBN? Available at:

UK National Ecosystem Assessment (2011a) The UK National Ecosystem Assessment: Synthesis of the KeyFindings. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge.

Welsh Assembly Government. (2006). Environment Strategy for Wales. WAG: Wales. Available at:

Scottish Executive. (2004). Scotlands Biodiversity: Its in your hands. TSO: Edinburgh. Available at:

5. AnnexesAnnex 1. Project overview and approach for developing UK biodiversity indicators

Despite the collective efforts of the biodiversity conservation community to bring attention to biodiversity loss, pressures on biodiversity are continuing to rise (Butchart et al, 2010, available at http://www.bipindicators.net/bippublications). Following the 10th Conference of Parties to the CBD in October 2010 and adoption of the new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2020), a flexible Pressure, State, Benefits, Response (PSBR) framework of indicators has been proposed to report on the 20 Aichi targets at multiple scales (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/15/INF/6, available at http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=sbstta-15). There is also a widespread perception that alternative tools are needed to mainstream issues of biodiversity loss across sectors through ecosystem services assessment.

The UK has been the first nation to relate ecosystem assessment to ecosystem services, with the recent publication of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA, 2011, available at http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Resources/tabid/82/Default.aspx). This initiative, combined with the new Biodiversity Strategic Plan (2011-2020) championed by the CBD, has resulted in timely emphasis on enhancing the suite of UK biodiversity indicators to ensure that they continue to be based on the most robust and reliable data, and are relevant to the new Aichi Targets as well as the revised European Biodiversity Strategy, including requirements for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

The Biodiversity Indicator Steering Group (BISG) has proposed an interim set of 24 biodiversity indicators for reporting against global and European frameworks (http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4229). A number of the proposed indicators need refinement and/or development. Key challenges will be meeting tight reporting deadlines and country priorities. To ensure that the UK meets international and national obligations, there is an imperative to use data currently available.

The major objective of Defra project WC1031 is to construct indicators for six thematic areas identified by the BISG as requiring development, ensuring that new developments and refinements have a sound scientific base. These thematic areas are: awareness of biodiversity conservation; status of species and habitats supporting ecosystem services; habitat connectivity; plant genetic resources; climate change adaptation; and integrating biodiversity into business activities. In order that the UK retains links from global to country-based indicators, it will be important that UK indicators can be disaggregated to country level (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and that they are aligned, as far as practicable, with global and EU frameworks.

The first step in this project was to undertake a scoping exercise to review and synthesize the metadata used in the UK NEA and identify data sets that might be suitable for developing UK biodiversity indicators. Results of the scoping exercise informed and guided subsequent, more detailed data searches and development of indicator options and methodologies, in consultation with experts.

Annex 2. Indicators considered for UK public awareness of biodiversity

Table A2.1: Data sources and indicators considered for UK Biodiversity Awareness but not considered useful.

Indicator

Source

Area of fully and in-conversion organic land areas

UK NEA

Designated woodland habitats in Northern Ireland (ASSIs, SACs)

UK NEA

Leisure activities in Great Britain

UK NEA

Mapping greenspace accessibility in Edinburgh

UK NEA

Visitor spend at sea bird RSPB reserves around the UK

UK NEA

Volume of bottled water consumed in the UK

UK NEA

Visitor use of mountain, moorland & heath dominated areas

UK NEA

Density of new dwellings built on previously developed land England

UK NEA

The importance of and frequency of use of greenspace in England

UK NEA

Trips per person per year by transport mode in Great Britain

UK NEA

Distance travelled per person per year in GB by trip purpose

UK NEA

Sports participation at least once a week

UK NEA

Reasons for participation in Learning Through Landscapes programme

UK NEA

Welsh Outdoor Recreation Survey

UK NEA

Visual and sensory evaluation of Wales

UK NEA

Estimated resource value of the open space areas

UK NEA

Tourism in Northern Ireland from 1959-2009 (visits and revenue)

UK NEA

Awareness of the term biodiversity

SEBI Indicator 026

Understanding of the phrase loss of biodiversity

SEBI Indicator 026

Scale of agreement with various statements on the importance of halting biodiversity loss

SEBI Indicator 026

Scale of impacts of threats to biodiversity

SEBI Indicator 026

Awareness of information on biodiversity

SEBI Indicator 026

Concerns regarding protecting the environment at a national level

Eurobarometer

Questions on focus of the EU in coming years for environmental issues

Eurobarometer

Annex 3. SurveysUK Biodiversity Barometer

The Biodiversity Barometer has been produced annually by the Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) since 2009. Eight countries were surveyed for the 2012 edition including: Brazil; France; Germany; India; Peru; Switzerland; USA; and the UK. The regularity of the survey is funding dependent.

UK Eurobarometer

A survey produced by the Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission which commenced in 1973. Each survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face interviews per country and reports were published twice yearly. The future of this survey is currently uncertain.

England - Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE)

The monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) was commissioned by Natural England, Defra and the Forestry Commission to provide baseline and trend data on how people use, enjoy and are motivated to protect the natural environment. The survey has been running since 2009, with annual reporting cycles.

Northern Ireland - Continuous Household Survey

The Continuous Household Survey (CHS) is one of the largest continuous surveys carried out in Northern Ireland. It is designed to provide a regular source of information on a wide range of social and economic issues relevant to Northern Ireland.It has been running since 1983.

Note: The Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey is also carried out on a regular basis and is designed to provide a snapshot of the lifestyle and views of the people of Northern Ireland.A section on public perception of climate change was included in the 2012 questionnaire.Scotland - Scottish Nature Omnibus

The Scottish Nature Omnibus survey (SNO) was commissioned by SNH in 2009/2010 to measure public awareness of and engagement with SNH and its work. The SNO ran on a quarterly basis between June 2009 and March 2011 and has run since on a 6-monthly basis. The most recent wave of research was conducted in February/March 2013.

Scotland - Scotlands People and Nature Survey (SPANS)

Scotlands People and Nature Survey (SPANS) is a partnership survey which will replace the Scottish Recreation Survey that ended in 2012. The questions are inserted into the Scottish Opinion Survey on a monthly basis. SPANS will run every three years, starting in 2013, with the next survey due to run in 2016.

Wales - National Survey for Wales

The National Survey for Wales is a general adult household survey and it has replaced the Living in Wales Survey which ran between 2004 and 2008. The aim of the survey is to help the Welsh Assembly Government to:

monitor trends in the concerns and needs of people in Wales

assess views and experiences of public services

target resources to meet needs

Wales Welsh Outdoor Recreation Survey

The Welsh Outdoor Recreation Survey measures participation in outdoor recreation amongst adults resident in Wales. It is jointly commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales and the Forestry Commission Wales. The survey began in 2008, with repeated surveys every three years.

Annex 4. Relevant survey questions

Table A4.2. Relevance of survey questions to each indicator option.

Key

Weak relevance to indicator

Strong relevance to indicator

UK

Survey: Biodiversity Barometer

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

Have you (personally) heard of biodiversity?

In your opinion, what does biodiversity mean?

Survey: Eurobarometer

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

What do you think are the two most important issues facing (OUR COUNTRY) at the

moment?

Rising prices/ inflation/ Taxation / Unemployment / Terrorism / Housing / Government debt / Immigration / Health and social security / The education system / The environment, climate and energy issues

And personally, what are the two most important issues you are facing at the moment?

Rising prices/ inflation/ Taxation / Unemployment / Terrorism / Housing / Government debt / Immigration / Health and social security / The education system / The environment, climate and energy issues

England

Survey: Monitor of the Natural Environment

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

I am going to ask you about occasions in the last week when you spent your time out of doors. By out of doors we mean open spaces in and around towns and cities, including parks, canals and nature areas; the coast and beaches; and the countryside including farmland, woodland, hills and rivers. This could be anything from a few minutes

to all day. It may include time spent close to your home or workplace, further afield or while on holiday in England. However this does not include: - routine shopping trips or; - time spent in your own garden.

How many times, if at all, did you make this type of visit?

Which of the following best describes where you spent most of your time on this visit?.

In a town or city / In a seaside resort or town / Other seaside coastline (including beaches and cliffs) / In the countryside (including areas around towns and cities)

How long did this visit last altogether that is from the time you left to when you returned?

Which of these activities, if any, did you undertake?

Eating or drinking out / Fieldsports (for example, shooting and hunting) / Fishing / Horse riding / Off-road cycling or mountain biking / Off-road driving or motorcycling / Picnicking / Playing with children / Road cycling / Running / Appreciating scenery from your car (for example, at a viewpoint) / Swimming outdoors / Visits to a beach, sunbathing or paddling in the sea / Visiting an attraction / Walking, not with a dog (including short walks, rambling and hill walking)? / Walking, with a dog (including short walks, rambling and hill walking)? / Watersports / Wildlife watching

Which of the following, if any, best describe your reasons for this visit?

To spend time with family / To spend time with friends / To learn something about the outdoors / For fresh air or to enjoy pleasant weather / For health or exercise / For peace and quiet / To relax and unwind / To exercise your dog / To enjoy scenery / To enjoy wildlife / To entertain children / To challenge yourself or achieve something / To be somewhere you like

And still thinking of this visit, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

I enjoyed it / It made me feel calm and relaxed / It made me feel refreshed and revitalised / I took time to appreciate my surroundings / I learned something new about the natural world / I felt close to nature

Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree

Which of the following activities involving the natural environment do you take part in? Please choose everything you do, both regularly and occasionally.

Watching or listening to nature programmes on the TV or radio / Looking at books, photos or websites about the natural world / Looking at natural scenery from indoors or whilst on journeys / Sitting or relaxing in a garden / Gardening / Watching wildlife (including bird watching) / Choosing to walk through local parks or green spaces on my way to other places / Doing unpaid voluntary work out of doors

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Spending time out of doors (including my own garden) is an important part of my life / I am concerned about damage to the natural environment / There are many natural places I may never visit but I am glad they exist / Having open green spaces close to where I live is important

Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree

Which of the following environment related activities do you do? Please choose all that apply.

I usually recycle items rather than throw them away / I usually buy eco-friendly products and brands / I usually buy seasonal or locally grown food / I choose to walk or cycle instead of using my car when I can / I encourage other people to protect the environment / I am a member of an environmental or conservation organisation / I volunteer to help care for the environment

Please think about whether or not you are likely to make changes to your lifestyle to protect the environment, for example by recycling rather than throwing things away, using your car less and buying local food.

Which of these statements best describes your intentions?

I like my lifestyle the way it is and am not likely to change it / Id like to make changes to my lifestyle but I dont know what to do / Id like to make changes to my lifestyle but its too difficult / Id make changes to my lifestyle if I

knew other people were willing to make changes / I intend to make changes to my lifestyle / I already do a lot to protect the environment so it would be difficult to do more

Northern Ireland

Survey: Continuous Household Survey

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

In general, how concerned are you personally about the environmental issues that impact on

you?

Very concerned / Fairly concerned / Not very concerned / Not at all concerned

Could you look at this list of environmental problems and tell me which you think is the most important to you?

Pollution in rivers

Pollution in bathing waters and beaches

Traffic exhaust fumes and urban smog

Loss of plants and animals in NI

Ozone layer depletion

Tropical forest destruction

Climate change

Loss of trees and hedgerows in NI

Fumes and smoke from factories

Traffic congestion

Use of pesticides, fertilisers etc

Acid rain

Waste disposal

Noise

None of these / Other

Which of the following phrases have you heard of?

Sustainable development

Wake up to Waste

Biodiversity

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Waste prevention

None

Could you tell me which of the following actions you have regularly taken for environmental reasons, in the last 12 months?

Cut down the amount of electricity/gas you (or your household) uses

Cut down on use of water

Deliberately used public transport\walked\cycled

Cut down on the use of a car for short journeys

Done things to encourage wildlife in your garden

Bought toilet rolls\kitchen towels made from recycled paper

Decided not to buy a particular product because it had too much packaging

Bought organically produced food

Used low energy light bulbs in the home

Avoided food waste

Reduced the junk mail you receive

Avoided buying products you throw away

Ensured clothes/furniture that you no longer want is reused

Reused plastic bags

Scotland

Survey: Scottish Nature Omnibus

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

Q11a: Are you aware of the term biodiversity?

Yes, Ive definitely heard of it / Yes, I think Ive heard of it / Dont know / No, I have never heard of it

ASK IF yes or dont know at Q11a

Q11b: What do you understand the term biodiversity to mean? DO NOT PROMPT

Q11c: Biodiversity is the variety of all living things animals, birds, plants, trees, fish, insects and human beings themselves that exist in the world.

How interested are you in Scotlands biodiversity? How relevant is Scotlands biodiversity to you personally? How concerned are you about the loss of biodiversity in Scotland?

Very / Slightly / Neither / Not very / Not at all / Dont know

Q: Please can you tell me whether you do any of the following?

Q12a Garden for wildlife; Q13a Be a green consumer; Q14a Volunteering; Q15a Be a green traveller

Yes I try to do everything / Yes, but I only do a couple of things / No, but Id like to do something / No, Im not interested / Dont know/no opinion

Q: What are your reasons and motivations for:

Q12b Gardening for wildlife; Q13b Being a green consumer; Q14b Volunteering; Q15b Being a green traveller

Survey: Scotlands People And Nature

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

What reasons, if any, best describe why you made your last visit to the outdoors?

To spend time with family/friends

To entertain a child

For health and exercise

To challenge myself/achieve something

To exercise a dog

For fresh air or to enjoy pleasant weather

To be somewhere I like

For peace and quiet

To relax and unwind

To learn something about the outdoors

To enjoy scenery or wildlife

To help out/volunteer

To take part in a sport or hobby

Thinking about your last visit, how much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

Agree strongly / Agree slightly / Neither Nor / Disagree slightly / Disagree strongly

It improved my physical health (through exercise and physical activity)

It helped me de-stress, relax and unwind

It made me feel energised and revitalised

It was a good social experience (through spending time with other people)

I felt closer to nature

Which of the following activities involving the natural environment do you take part in? Please choose everything you do, both regularly and occasionally.

Watching/listening to nature programmes on TV/radio

Looking at books/photos/websites about the natural world

Looking at natural scenery from indoors while on a journey

Sitting or relaxing in a garden

Gardening

Watching wildlife (including bird watching)

Choosing to walk through local parks or greenspaces on my way to other places

Doing unpaid voluntary work to help look after wildlife or the environment

None of these

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements

Agree strongly / Agree slightly / Neither Nor / Disagree slightly / Disagree strongly

I feel well-informed about the key issues affecting Scotlands natural environment

I am concerned about the loss of Scottish native animals and plants

Spending time outdoors is an important part of my life

I am concerned about the effects of climate change on Scotlands natural environment (e.g. extreme weather, flooding)

I choose to walk or cycle when I can instead of using my car

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Agree strongly / Agree slightly / Neither Nor / Disagree slightly / Disagree strongly / Dont know

Scotlands landscapes are changing for the better

Scotlands landscapes make an important contribution to the economy (e.g. for tourism)

Scotlands finest landscapes are well looked after

More effort is needed to improve the landscape around Scotlands towns and cities

Scotlands areas of wildland should be protected

Most new development in the countryside is having a positive impact on Scotlands landscapes

Windfarms in Scotland are generally well located and designed

The landscape close to where I live could accommodate more windfarms

The landscape in the places I like to visit in Scotland could accommodate more windfarms

Thinking about where you live, how would you rate the landscape in your local area?

Very Good / Good / Fair / Poor / Very Poor/ No experience/DK

LAND2 What do you particularly like about the landscape of your local area?

The area is attractive (scenery, landscapes, views etc.) / Trees / Greenery / Peace and quiet / Bustle, noise or visual activity / Well looked after/cared for (clean, tidy, well-managed etc.) / Variety of outdoor things to do (walks, cycles, paths, parks, greenspaces, places for children to play etc.) / Opportunities to see nature/wildlife nearby / Quality of buildings / New developments that have taken place / Sense of history / Sense of place/community

And what do you particularly dislike about the landscape of your local area?

Area is unattractive (e.g. unsightly, ugly, built-up, no views etc.) / Bustle, noise or visual activity (traffic congestion etc.) / Area not well looked after/cared for (litter, vandalism, poorly managed etc.) / No outdoor things to do/places to go (walks, cycles, paths, parks, greenspaces, places for children to play etc.) / Lack of opportunity to see nature/wildlife nearby / Quality of the buildings / New developments that have taken place / No sense of history / No sense of place/community

Wales

Survey: Welsh Outdoor Recreation Survey

Relevance to indicator

Questions

Option A (Awareness)

Option B (Connection)

Option C (Behaviour)

Which of the following activities have you undertaken at least once during visits to the outdoors in the last 12 months?

Walking / Road cycling / Off-road cycling or mountain biking / Horse riding / Fishing / Rock climbing or caving /Motorised watersports / Other watersports / Swimming outdoors

Snowsports / Field sports (shooting/hunting) / Air sports (hang gliding/ballooning) / Wildlife watching / Running

During the summer months, from April to September, how often on average have you visited the outdoors?

And during the winter months from October to March, how often on average have you visited the outdoors?

More than once per day / Once a day / Several times a week / Once a week / Once or twice a month / Once or twice

What reasons, if any, best describe why you made this visit to the outdoors?

To spend time with family / To spend time with friends / To learn something about the outdoors / For fresh air or to enjoy pleasant weather / For health or exercise / For peace and quiet / To relax and unwind / To exercise your dog / To enjoy scenery and wildlife / To entertain children / To challenge myself / To achieve something / To enjoy/participate in my hobby / For pleasure/enjoyment / To get somewhere (e.g. walking to work/shops)

Annex 5. Evaluation scores for indicator options

Table A5.1: Evaluation scores for indicator options. The criteria build upon that provided in the Defra specification for WC1301 (Developing UK indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020) with reference to CBD, Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI)[footnoteRef:4], and Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP)[footnoteRef:5] criteria. Note, scores for Option C are based on the most complex dataset being used. [4: EEA (2007). Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010: proposal for a first set of indicators to monitor progress in Europe. EEA Technical report No 11/2007. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/technical_report_2007_11 ] [5: 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2010) Guidance for national biodiversity indicator development and use. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. http://www.bipnational.net/ ]

Criteria

Levels

Options

A

B

C

Data issues

1. Transparency and auditability

1. Data unavailable to public

2. Limited summary data available

3. Full raw/primary data set and metadata available

x

x

x

2. Verification

1. Unverified data

2. Limited verification checks in place

3. Detailed verification in place and documented

x

x

x

3. Frequency of updates

1. Sporadic

2. Every 3-5 years

x

3. Annual or biennial

x

x

4. Security

1. Future data collection discontinued

2. Future data collection uncertain

x

x

3. Future data collection secure

x

5. Spatial coverage

1. Partial UK coverage

x

2. UK coverage, some bias

x

3. Full UK coverage, including adjacent marine areas, if and where appropriate

x

6. Temporal coverage

1. Insufficient data for assessment (