Society for Conservation Biology

 

Activities of the Policy Committee range from our long-term initiatives to ad-hoc actions addressing urgent conservation issues. We work at various scales – from global dimensions down to local case studies.

 

The Europe Section Policy Committee meeting with representatives of the EU Commission in Brussels in 2008.

 

Our ‘tools’ are diverse and include:

 

 

Among others, apart from elaborating scientific publications and presenting individual talks and posters, we organise policy-related symposia and workshops. SCB’s European and International Congresses for Conservation Biology (ECCBs and ICCBs, respectively) are our ‘natural’ platforms for this, but we also seek opportunities at other conferences.

 

 

We have used side-events at Conferences of Parties of UN conventions (CBD, UNFCCC etc.) as science-policy interfaces. Furthermore, we regularly meet representatives of the European Commission, Members of European Parliament, policy-makers and international NGOs in Brussels. Another important activity is the initiation and preparation of Statements on policy conservation issues for approval by the Board of Directors of the Europe Region.

 

 

As Europe Policy Committee, naturally, we are sometimes asked for advice by the Europe Region Board of Directors, the Global Policy Committee (of which the Chair of the Europe Policy Committee is a member) or other units within SCB. Other examples for such support to the Society include fostering the eco-friendliness of ECCBs, including the upcoming ICCB-ECCB 2015. We have also initiated and elaborated ethical guidelines for the sponsoring of this congress.

 

The work of the Policy Committee is based on the philosophy of taking advantage of members’ expertise by calling for and supporting their active involvement. The work of the Policy Committee is voluntary (i.e., non-paid).