Consultation and engagement

Working in partnership is at the heart of NERC’s strategy and our mission to consult and engage – with the environmental science community, policymakers, government, public bodies and the general public – about the science we support and how we deliver it.

As part of our mission to provide advice on environmental science issues we also respond to third-party consultations, provide evidence for parliamentary questions, ministerial briefings and select committee enquiries.

NERC’s advisory role

An important part of NERC’s role is to disseminate knowledge and provide advice. We work closely with government and parliament to make sure policymakers have the latest environmental science and expertise available to inform their decisions.

We do this at a ‘working level’ through designing and delivering research in partnership with government departments, and through our more formal advisory function which involves contributing information and advice to government and parliamentary processes.

NERC’s head office coordinates NERC’s input to government and parliamentary questions and inquiries that call for environment science evidence and expertise. In some cases NERC is called on to contribute; in others we become aware of an opportunity to input to a consultation or parliamentary inquiry and decide whether a response from NERC would be beneficial.

In this advisory capacity NERC provides:

  • input to government consultations
  • responses to parliamentary questions, written submissions and oral evidence to select committee inquiries, and information for ministerial briefings (for example, for international visits, meetings with industry, meetings with foreign stakeholders)
  • briefings for high-level bilateral meetings – strategic discussions with government departments and agencies regarding areas of common interest, usually involving NERC’s Executive Chair and Director of Research and Innovation, and the bilateral partner’s chief scientific advisor.

NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) which leads on coordinating advice from across the councils on relevant issues, and NERC contributes as appropriate.

Last updated: 31 March 2022

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