Biodiversity politics : policy, planning and public understandings

Abstract

The past fifty years have seen dramatic losses in biodiversity and associated ecosystem services despite increased environmental policy at global, EU, national and local scales. Increasingly, biodiversity policy has moved from strict protectionist conservation to a framework with sustainable development at its core. With this shift, integration of biodiversity across a wide array of sectors is now required, and also, increased stakeholder engagement. Biodiversity policy also seeks to engage broad spectrum public support and involvement in biodiversity planning and decision-making.