Joint Nature Conservation Committee

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The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the statutory adviser to the UK Government on national and international nature conservation. Its work contributes to maintaining and enriching biological diversity, conserving geological features and sustaining natural systems.

JNCC delivers the UK and international responsibilities of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside (CNCC), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Natural England, and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The functions that arise from these responsibilities are principally to:

• advise Government on the development and implementation of policies for, or affecting, nature conservation in the UK and internationally;

• provide advice and disseminate knowledge on nature conservation issues affecting the UK and internationally;

• establish common standards throughout the UK for nature conservation, including monitoring, research, and the analysis of results;

• commission or support research which it deems relevant to these functions.

The Committee comprises 14 members: a Chairman and five independent members appointed by the Secretary of State; the Chairman of CNCC; the Chairmen or deputy Chairmen of CCW, Natural England and SNH; and one other member from each of these bodies.

JNCC, originally established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, was reconstituted by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Support is provided to the JNCC by a company limited by guarantee (JNCC Support Co) that the Committee established in 2005.