Indicator description
There were significant increases in real terms
in public sector spending on UK biodiversity in most years between
2000-1 and 2009-10. In 2009-10, expenditure totalled £560 million,
more than double that of 2000-1. Over the same period UK GDP
increased by 13 per cent. The indicator is therefore assessed
as improving since 2000. Assessment is based on a three-year
average from the baseline, using the three earliest consecutive
years available.
The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) deflator is a
measure of general inflation in the domestic economy – it captures
the price changes over a period of time. The deflator is expressed
in terms of an index number – usually a time series of index
numbers with the latest year in the series taken as a base
year.
Relevance
Spending is one way of assessing the priority that is given to
biodiversity within Government. Funding for conservation work
is critical to delivery of country biodiversity and
environment strategies.
Background
This indicator is based upon estimates of spending by the public
sector combined with a range of estimates and assumptions about the
element relating to biodiversity, using expert opinion from within
the relevant organisations wherever possible. The information
is collated by the Environmental Statistics Service in Defra.
A report on the methodology is available: Indicators of funding of
expenditure on biodiversity in the UK, and of UK Government funding
on conservation of global biodiversity.