Welsh Government Biodiversity Targets Advisory Panel meeting: 1 July 2025

The third Biodiversity Targets Advisory Panel (BTAP) meeting took place on 1 July 2025 and was Chaired by Alice Teague, Deputy Director Marine and Biodiversity Division. Applications had closed for the BTAP Chair role, and applications were being processed. Thanks were given to those who had volunteered to sit on the sift panel. The interviews would take place at the end of the month.

WG officials gave an update on the progress of the bill.

An overview of target setting to date was given by Welsh Government Officials. Welsh Ministers must set at least one target under each priority area listed on the bill. The panel inputted into these priority areas during the March BTAP02 meeting. 

Targets must contribute towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss through contributing to at least one of the following: i) increasing species abundance, ii) increasing genetic diversity, or iii) enhancing the resilience of ecosystems.

The next step of target creation had been to develop target topics under each priority area. Evidence papers were written for each priority area and workshops undertaken with Welsh Government and experts from Natural Resources Wales. Evidence was obtained from a number of sources and distributed ahead of the meeting. Using the evidence papers and the outputs of workshops conducted with NRW and Welsh Government policy experts, target topics and their associated metrics were shortlisted for each priority area.

The panel were asked to review the target topics and consider the criteria for further development.

JNCC gave an overview of the indicator work package conducted to date. They are undertaking an indicator gap analysis to determine what indicators exist for the target topics. Initial outputs for the species priority area and target topics was presented. 

JNCC provided an update on the scenarios modelling work package. Evidence is needed to inform what level to set targets and the plan is to use scenarios and models to project how targets might change: scenarios would show potential environmental changes under different assumptions about policies, societal choices, technology etc. The models would project what effect these environmental changes might have.

The panel supported the work packages being proposed and pursued.

Welsh Government officials provided an overview of the sustainable land management monitoring and evaluation. Welsh Government’s Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP) is working with external stakeholders to develop proposals for sustainable land management indicators and an approach for setting targets under the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023. The final indicators framework report is due by 30 September 2025.

A technical expert group and stakeholder workshop had helped identify appropriate indicators. Internal and external stakeholder events were planned over the summer to refine and finalise the indicators, which in turn will inform the Sustainable Land Management monitoring and evaluation framework. 

The next meeting will be in the autumn.