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What would you do with £300m…?

16 November 2004

Londoners will have the chance next week to find out how decisions are made for funding environmental science and give their views on how they think a £300m budget should be spent.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) spends that amount each year on environmental science. Funding comes from the public purse so people have a right to voice their opinions on how they think some of the money should be spent.

For the past three years NERC has opened up one of its Council meetings so that the public can see how decisions about funding priorities are made and have the chance to discuss issues that are important to them. This year the meeting will be held on Thursday, 25 November at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington.

The agenda for this meeting includes the 'greening' of NERC and a review of its public engagement activities. NERC has decided to monitor the impact its science, staff and facilities have on the environment and take steps to reduce its environmental footprint . How will its Council take this commitment forward? And does NERC do enough to engage with members of the public to find out what environmental issues concern them?

NERC's Chief Executive, Professor John Lawton, said, "People are becoming more and more aware of their environment and how things like climate change will affect them. They can make a valuable contribution to the discussions and their comments may well help us to shape some of the decisions we make in the months and years to come."

Further information

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. NERC's Open Council Meeting is being held at The Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington. The meeting will begin at 09:30 and will run until 12:30. This will be followed by an open forum where guests can ask questions and raise issues or concerns about the environment. There will be a buffet afterwards.

2. Journalists are welcome to attend. To help us plan our catering arrangements, we should appreciate it if you could let us know if you are attending - please contact the press office.

3. NERC is one of the UK's research councils. It uses a budget of about £300m a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.

Press release: 36/04

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