What is WBP?
The Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP) brings together key players from the public, private and voluntary sectors to promote and monitor biodiversity and ecosystem action in Wales. WBP provides a leadership role and an expert steer on priorities for action on biodiversity and ecosystems in Wales.
Biodiversity Governance in Wales
The Biodiversity Strategic Implementation Group drives effective, practical conservation efforts on the ground and establish a shared vision for nature recovery in Wales. The group has a wide membership from Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, the environmental third sector, Local Nature Partnerships and other public and private sector organisations.
The State of Natural Resources Report 2025 (SoNaRR25) shows that the ongoing decline in biodiversity is weakening Wales’ ecosystems, which in turn undermines community wellbeing, economic prosperity, and long‑term resilience. A healthy natural environment underpins our economy, supports our cultural identity, and provides the essential ecosystem services we depend on every day.
The Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales sets out the national framework for responding to these challenges.
The Nature Recovery Action Plan aligns with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and reflects Wales’ legislative landscape, including the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act.
Delivering the plan requires collective effort. Every part of government, every public authority, every organisation, and every citizen has a role to play.
WBP Wider Network
The WBP wider partnership is a broad network of organisations, local partnerships, and individuals who are committed to biodiversity conservation and enhancement in Wales. The wider network's main aim is to provide advice and expertise and influence decision-making and contribute to biodiversity activity in Wales.
WBP Support Team
The Wales Biodiversity Partnership requires sufficient support to ensure the structure is fully functioning to maximise benefit from partnership working. The WBP Support Team consists of two full-time officers hosted by Natural Resources Wales with support from Welsh Government Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Branch staff.
WBP Membership
Everyone in Wales has a role to play to improve biodiversity and ecosystems, in essence to make the natural environment which we all depend on an integral part of our everyday lives.
Membership of the wider partnership is free and open to all interested organisations and individuals who have an interest in biodiversity and ecosystems conservation and enhancement.
If you are interested in learning more about the partnership and wish to become a wider partnership member contact us
Historical Background
The WBP Steering Group formally disbanded and the work programme was taken on by the Wales Biodiversity Strategy Board (WBSB) and the WBP working groups. The Nature Recovery Action Plan was produced by the Wales Biodiversity Strategy Board, members of which represent both land and sea managers, Natural Resources Wales, the environmental third sector, local authorities, Wales Biodiversity Partnership and Welsh Government. The WBSB was responsible for developing the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales. This work has now passed to the Nature Recovery Action Plan Implementation Group.
As biodiversity is a devolved matter, each of the four UK countries works to address both the CBD and EU goals and targets in their own territory. Work which was previously carried out under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) is now focused at the country level (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales). Many of the tools developed under the UK BAP remain of use; for example, background information about the lists of priority habitats and species. However, these lists are now kept and updated separately in each country. In Wales, the current lists are those under Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act.
The UK Biodiversity Framework shows how the work of the four UK countries joins up with work at a UK level to achieve the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It identifies the activities required to complement the country biodiversity strategies, and where work in the country strategies contributes to international obligations.