Natural England is the Government's statutory advisor on the natural environment- vested in 2006 - which amalgamated functions previously handled by the Countryside Agency, English Nature and Defra's Rural Development Service. Its purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations.

It provides practical advice, grounded in evidence, on how best to safeguard England's natural wealth for the benefit of everyone. It also has a number of legal responsibilities for designating and protecting sites of international and national importance for wildlife and landscapes, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and National Parks.

"Our remit is to ensure sustainable stewardship of the land and sea so that people and nature can thrive. It is our responsibility to see that England's rich natural environment can adapt and survive intact for future generations to enjoy," the organisation says. "We work with farmers and land managers; business and industry; planners and developers; national, regional and local government; interest groups and local communities to help them improve their local environment."

David Thompson is a Principle Specialist in Natural England's national Climate Change and Energy Policy team. His key areas of work include developing policy on the importance of the natural environment to tackling the causes and consequences of climate change and advocating sustainable adaptation and mitigation responses.

David is also working on embedding action on climate change within Natural England's wider functions and delivery. David has worked for Natural England and its predecessor the Countryside Agency on climate change policy since 2005 and before that led the Countryside Agency's designation of the South Downs National Park.

How has climate change already impacted on England's natural environment?

"There is quite a lot of evidence of impact of climate change, on bio-diversity and ecosystems, at a global and UK level.

"There have been changes to the timing of season events - early spring and early autumn. We're seeing strong evidence that a number of species are already changing their distributions, generally moving further northwards, or uphill, in response to changes in temperatures. We're seeing changes in species' abundance, not just their distribution in certain areas, but the number of individuals you get in certain habitats.

"But we're also seeing some more bio-physical changes to habitat so, for example, there is some evidence - it's still a bit uncertain - that carbon stored in soils is being lost. It's still quite early and the evidence rather patchy and sometimes it's difficult to be sure that some trends are down to climate change alone - it could be attributed to a number of factors of which climate is one.

"But overall there is certainly evidence, on a global level and in the UK, of the impact of climate change on the natural environment.

"In England, habitat loss has already occurred in coastal areas due to sea level rise and there are likely to be adverse impacts on habitats as a result of changed rainfall patterns and increased extreme weather events that are not yet quantified. We also, however, expect some gains for biodiversity as many English species are at the northern end of their range, and these may increase in abundance and extend their range as the climate warms.

"In their 2007 report, the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) estimated that between 20-30 percent of global, terrestrial species are likely to be committed to extinction, primarily through climate change. This risk is undoubtedly down to a combination of factors, but climate change you can almost see as the straw that will break the camel's back for a number of species which are already under pressure from development, agricultural intensification, pollution and not enough water due to abstraction.

"Much of England's countryside is fragmented and ecologically simplified, so wildlife may not be able to respond to climate change. So climate change is an additional factor which is exacerbating those pre-existing, non-climate pressures."

And how does the degradation of our local, natural environment in turn affect global warming?

"I don't think a lot of attention has been given to this aspect. At a global level, soils and vegetation hold a lot of carbon. There's more carbon in soil and vegetation than there is in the atmosphere. And the oceans, of course - there's the biggest reservoir of carbon.

"So all these have a very important role in regulating the climate because there's a constant flux of carbon between the atmosphere and the oceans and soil - it's a cycle. In the natural state, that cycle tends to regulate itself...

"There are always natural changes to climate for a variety of reasons - extraordinary solar activity, volcanic activity: natural cooling and warming. But there's always been that regulation and the key service - the eco-system service as we call it - that the soil, oceans and vegetation provide is that ability to regulate the climate by basically storing carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.

"In this respect, maintaining and protecting and enhancing the terrestrial carbon stored is an important part of any mitigation effort. Stern made that point very clearly when he noted that tropical deforestation is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, around 18 per cent of carbon emissions are due to tropical deforestation.

"At a UK level, the issue is less about trees and more about soil. The UK, northern Europe generally, Russia and Canada, have a lot of carbon stored in peat. We estimate that in the UK, it's about five and a half billion tonnes of carbon in peat soils which only make up about 14 percent of the total land area but which contain over half the amount of carbon in UK soil. It's particularly the case in Scotland: in England, there are big peat lands in the northern and southern Pennines, the North Yorkshire moors, the Peak District and the southwest uplands - Dartmoor and Exmoor.

"There is also quite a lot lowland fen peat - mainly in East Anglia, the Cambridgeshire fens. It's hard to quantify because the depth of peat varies but there's likely to be three to four hundred million tonnes of carbon found in England's peat bogs which is a fairly substantial amount: two or three years-worth of UK GHG emissions.

"We know that in many places, England's lowland peats are under significant pressure - the majority of it is cultivated and drained. The uplands have less cultivation but there's quite a lot of burning, for grouse shooting, a lot of drainage - gripping we call it - a lot of it put in the Sixties and Seventies and paid for by government! And in some areas - particularly the Peak District between Sheffield and Manchester - there's 150 years worth of atmospheric pollution, which has caused and will continue to cause damage. And wildfire - lots of fires caused by walkers and tourists.

"So we know there's a lot of damage to peat and we're losing a lot of carbon to the atmosphere and much of the peat is run-off in the rivers and streams and then into reservoirs and it costs the water companies millions of pounds a year to remove it from the drinking water and we, the population, pay for that.

"We know that there's a problem. But our evidence isn't strong enough at the moment to be completely certain about what the GHG savings are when you restore degraded peat land. If peat land has been drained, the water table has gone down by quite a few feet so you're losing carbon because it's drying out.

"But if you were to restore the water table by blocking those grips (drainage ditches) or by reducing the intensity of land usage in the lowlands, then the water table will come back up and you won't lose the carbon.

"However if the water table rises you might have emissions of methane which is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. But it's likely - and studies in Europe have indicated - that even if you take into account the methane increase, you've still got a net carbon benefit from restoring peat bog.

"We need more measurement of the methane story - there is research to show that you will get an initial spike of methane for two or three years after restoration but then it tails off: over a 20 to 50 year period it looks like there's an overall GHG benefit from restoration. We published a report on the role that land managers can play as 'carbon managers' last year which is available on our website.

"Our concern is that some of the approaches that are being taken to mitigation of emissions are very technologically focussed. Of course there's a need for that - in the energy and transport sectors for example you will have to take a technological approach to reduce emissions and de-carbonise the economy - but there are other ways of doing it as well that complement this.

"An example, one amongst many, is the salt marshes in coastal areas. By restoring and creating these marshes, not only can you help carbon storage but also these marshes act as very effective flood defences. Rather than piling up higher and higher concrete flood defences that can disrupt the natural sediment flow along the coast we should, where possible, be working with rather than against natural processes.

"With salt marsh you also get a whole load of multiple benefits: it helps carbon storage; it reduces flood risk while using less concrete, it provides nurseries for key fish species and important habitat for other biodiversity and it delivers a highly-valued coastal landscape, recreational and education resource for people.

"That may sound a bit simplistic, but it's part of the general message: awareness of the use of the natural environment to help both adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

"A healthy natural environment is not just a luxury; it's an important weapon in our battle against climate change: to protect the natural environment is part of the solution in tackling the causes and consequences of climate change."

How is Natural England tackling these problems of environmental degradation?

"One of our main delivery mechanisms is Environmental Stewardship. It's an EU-funded 'agri-environment scheme' through which we provide income to farmers and other land managers to deliver effective environmental management on their land. If there is a capital cost involved, or loss of income from reduced production, the scheme will cover it.

"It's a broad scheme running from 2007 to 2013 with a £2.9billion budget. We've 57,000 farmers signed up covering 64 per cent of all agricultural land in England. Within that we have a more targeted scheme called Higher Level Stewardship covering about 10 per cent of agricultural land which is focussed on key areas as far as preservation of eco-systems and biodiversity is concerned as well as the conservation and restoration of habitat. Much of the grip blocking and blanket bog preservation in the uplands mentioned earlier is funded through these Stewardship schemes.

"Good environmental management obviously includes the carbon reduction angle. For example: one of the options farmers can take from Stewardship is the system of 'Buffer Strips' where you're paid to take up to six metres of land at the edge of your field out of production.

"These strips will result in a reduction of GHG emissions because the farmer isn't using machinery to plough up that area, isn't putting down nitrogen and other inputs which we know to be a source of GHG and in addition you'll have a build-up of carbon retained in the soil. These buffer areas along the edges of fields are often of low productivity, so there isn't a significant reduction in food production and the farmer is financially compensated anyway.

"In the overall scheme of things, perhaps such buffer zones in themselves don't account for a huge amount of GHG savings but if you consider the scheme covers over 64 per cent of farmed land, when you add it all up, it could be quite a significant contribution. The buffer scheme wasn't designed from a carbon-saving perspective - it had the protection of bio-diversity as its basis - but there is a carbon story there and we are working to improve the evidence for this.

"Research carried out with Defra last year estimated that without the Stewardship schemes, total agricultural GHG emissions would have been 11 per cent higher than they were. And as we increasingly focus on the options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help store carbon, we can improve on that figure."

What about work towards marine ecology?

"There is a great deal of interest in and research about this area. We are in the process of conducting a more in-depth review of the evidence base, due to be published later in 2009, especially focussing on England's coastal waters, trying to assess the impacts of different managements on the marine carbon store: do we have any evidence to suggest that certain practices, or their absence, have a carbon connotation? We're talking of 'no-take' zones (prohibited fishing) or 'no dredging zones'.

"There's a Marine Bill going through Parliament at present to which, like the Climate Change Act, Natural England has played a role in influencing. The Bill includes provisions to establish a new series of protected marine areas and we are looking at if there is a carbon story there as well."

Please tell us about your organisation's internal GHG reduction work

"We set a target to reduce emissions from our estates and our business travel by 50 per cent by the end of 2010, which is an ambitious target. We won't do any offsetting to achieve this and we will, as much as we can, avoid passing on any carbon burden to customers or suppliers.

"We established a baseline and we've seen since then almost a 20 per cent reduction in our emissions within the first year, much of which has come through better management of our offices and we're also starting to see some changes to travel behaviour - tele-conferencing or videoconferencing is increasingly coming into play, though quite a lot of travel is still unavoidable.

"In 2009 were aiming for a reduction of 40 per cent from the baseline."

Any advice for fellow carbon reduction professionals?

"Senior level buy-in is essential. And get executives to be high profile about their commitment. On our intranet site, you can monitor how much carbon our executives are emitting, individually, on their travels.

"Keep it simple: tackle the low-hanging fruit first! Establish some quick carbon wins to start the movement; show the progress and build a momentum. Don't get sidetracked by the big technical fixes when you've still got to sort out your draughty windows!

"Finally: don't keep it to yourself: involve staff in the development of innovative ideas and consult on new policies. Identify carbon champions and set them to work."

Natural England: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/

The Virtually Workplace – Alternatives To Business Travel

The travel chaos that inevitably followed snowfall across the UK sharpened our awareness of an everyday reality – how frustrating, time-consuming and stressful the journey to and from work can be.

And even when free of the added frustrations brought by freak weather, the daily commute is seen as a negative experience. A recent UK survey by The London Times confirmed what many of us know from personal experience – time spent commuting can feel almost as intrusive as compulsory overtime.

Companies hoping to attract and retain high quality staff need to take note, but more recently, the contribution to a company’s carbon footprint made by business travel has sharpened the search for alternatives. Car-sharing schemes, company bus services and improved public transport can all make an important contribution, but the question remains – why should people travel to a work location, if the work can be delivered more efficiently and cleanly to where people are?

Clearly not all occupations are suited to this kind of arrangement, but many are, and some companies are exploring the potential of broadband technologies to support a range of flexible working arrangements.

Videoconferencing and beyond

Videoconferencing is one of the more familiar of these technologies, enabling meetings and collaborative working to be carried out from remote locations. Some 89% of FTSE 350 companies surveyed by charity WWF expect they will want to fly less over the next 10 years and 85% believe that videoconferencing could reduce their business flying. More than 60% of respondents frequently use videoconferencing, with a further 20% saying that they occasionally do so, while less than 20% use it rarely or never.

But videoconferencing isn’t the only option for companies looking for virtual work places. Blue chip companies have been experimenting with environments such as Second Life (http://secondlife.com/whatis/) for years, although with mixed results it has to be said. “Companies like Reuters, American Apparel, IBM, BMW and Mercedes set up bases in Second Life, but most of these were purely marketing led, and almost all failed,” says David Burden founder of Daden Ltd, a specialist consultancy in this area.

“Most tried to treat it like a 3-D website, and almost all 3-D worlds fail – or used to fail – at communicating large amounts of information. People get tired of the avatar experience and tend to say ‘Just give me some links that I can click on!’” explains Burden. Successful corporate uses tend to be more tightly focused, aiming to provide virtual meeting places and collaborative working tools, for example. “Now, the most interest approaches use Second Life in a similar way to a corporate intranet. IBM tends to be seen as the exemplar of this, with around 20 virtual islands organised along the lines of its business units,” he says.

Although it tends to gain the lion’s share of media attention, Second Life is just one of a number of virtual environments available, says Burden. One such is Qwaq (http://www.qwaq.com/), which was designed with business needs in mind. “It’s very much aimed at people needing meeting spaces. Users can either hire or build them,” he says. “The avatars aren’t very inspiring but it’s one of the most advanced in other functionality, with the ability to drag and drop documents like spreadsheets straight into the meeting space from a desktop. Changes made in the meeting can then be uploaded back to the desktops of participants.”

Another environment worth noting is Wonderland (http://wiki.java.net/bin/view/Javadesktop/ProjectWonderlandAbout#VisionAndGoals), built by Sun Microsystems, which is gaining interest in academia, says Burden. Yet another, the Twinity (http://www.twinity.com/en) environment, focuses on recreating real physical spaces. A particularly impressive example of a virtual environment with sophisticated graphics is Sony’s Home (http://uk.playstation.com/psn/pshome/), which is aimed primarily at Playstation 3 users and games developers. “Ideas about using this for conferences are starting to emerge, and it will be interesting to see how it works out,” Burden says.

New ways of interacting with data

Plans to test the Sony Home environment for blue chip companies are already well advanced, says Andrew Mawson, Managing Director of Advanced Workplace Associates, a consultancy that advises companies such as Ernst & Young on workforce mobility, and behavioural and organisational change. “We were looking for an environment where you could have a virtual boardroom, and show presentations using whiteboarding tools. We also wanted something that would support brainstorming, with avatars that would enable people to express behaviour,” he says.

To explore the potential of Home further, Mawson is working with Dr Nipan Maniar, a University of Portsmouth academic with a strong track record in developing learning materials for gaming environments. “We’ve invited representatives from a dozen large companies to a trial session. They haven’t met before and will be briefed on three tasks which they must complete using avatars. We will observe the behaviour of people and avatars, and will bring them together physically at the end of the day to discuss their experiences. A report will be published in April,” says Mawson.

Virtual meetings and collaborative working may only be the start, says David Burden. Such environments also offer new ways of understanding complex data, enabling patterns and trends to be spotted simply and directly. Burden has been working with Birmingham City Council to develop maps of the city that can be populated with data from the council’s databases and the Web, he says.

Virtual spaces can also provide rich and immersive training facilities. St George’s Hospital in London has used 3-D environments to train paramedics, says Burden. In these scenarios, both the paramedic and patient are represented by avatars, and events unfold in real time. “It’s a good example of problem-based learning – the trainee just has to get on with it. What’s wonderful about it is that it doesn’t set the kind of bounds that more conventional web-based learning does. The paramedics can have access to all the equipment they would have in the real world.”

Whether participating in meetings, brainstorming sessions, collaborative working, or training, virtual work spaces can replicate many features of our experience in the real world. Except for the frustration and time wasted due to business travel, and the carbon emissions that go with it.

Key questions:

• How can directors show leadership in cutting business travel?

• What are the barriers to greater use of videoconferencing?

• What role-based training could be conducted in a virtual environment?