Indicator description
The trend for UK public sector funding on global biodiversity
shows an increase between 2000-1 and 2009-10. The most
prominent increase (65 per cent) was in 2003-4 with increased
contributions to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), followed by
seven per cent increase in the following year.
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 is taken as a base year.
Relevance
Spending is one way of assessing the priority that is given to
global biodiversity within Government. Adequate access to resources
is essential for the effective implementation of the Convention on
Biological Diversity in developing countries as part of more
general development aid and poverty alleviation.
Background
The information published by the indicator is drawn from a
number of sources. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew is increasingly
involved in the global conservation of endangered plant species as
threats to the world's vegetation escalate. Others such as
the Global Environment Facility and Global Opportunities Fund are
some institutions that channel funds directly to developing
countries in order to protect the environment and biodiversity. In
addition, the UK Government provides funding for biodiversity
through direct bilateral aid – the Darwin Initiative, the Flagship
Species Fund and the Overseas Territories Environment
Programme.
This indicator is based upon estimates of spending by the UK public
sector, combined with estimates and assumptions about the element
relating to global biodiversity using expert opinions from the
relevant organisations. 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.