Influencing government policy is a specialist role that can have a significant impact on a county’s approach to nature conservation. Policies and legislation are decided by governments and are then implemented by others working in the public, private and NGO sectors and industry.

Policy specialists working for NGOs, statutory nature conservation bodies or industry will also draw on evidence to try and influence politicians to develop or amend environmental policy and legislation to deliver better outcomes for nature. Policy specialists for NGOs and statutory nature conservation bodies will have nature as the top priority whereas policy specialists working in government will be trying to balance lots of (often conflicting) policy areas. 

Read more and use the links below to find out more about public sector or NGO policy roles, or browse all policy job profiles.

Public Sector Policy Specialists

Public sector policy workers usually work for governments and their arms-length bodies, statutory nature conservation bodies. They will be commissioning and using research evidence as well as evidence from case studies and trials to draft environmental policy and legislation which will have a big influence on how nature is protected and helped to recover.

NGO Policy Specialists

Policy specialists working for NGOs will be aiming to influence governments and decision-makers to do more for nature. They will be drawing on evidence to make a case for more protection for nature, or more money to be spent on nature conservation. They may also get involved in campaigns to change environmental policy.

Depending on their employer, these policy specialists may have a particular area of policy expertise such as planning policy, marine policy, freshwater policy or species-specific policy.

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