Approved work: Biomass energy
This POSTnote will consider the sustainability of biomass crop feedstocks grown in the UK, and the land use and other challenges that may arise.

Research suggests that the threat from invasive non-native species (INNS) is growing. Biological invasions by INNS harm native species and habitats and can have economic impacts. Biosecurity measures can be adopted to prevent the introduction and spread of INNS. This POSTnote summarises the drivers and impacts of INNS and the measures needed to meet national and international environmental targets.
Invasive non-native species (456 KB , PDF)
Invasive non-native species (INNS), or invasive alien species, are those that are introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, outside of their natural geographic range, causing environmental, social and/or economic impacts. In 2010, the impacts of INNS were estimated to cost the UK more than £1.8 billion per year. INNS can drive losses of native species through impacts such as predation, competition, introducing diseases and altering habitats, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has identified INNS as one of the biggest drivers of native biodiversity loss worldwide.
As part of the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, and under the Bern Convention, and the CBD, the Government has both international and national commitments to tackle INNS. However, the 2019 Environmental Audit Committee’s INNS report concluded that the Government had missed its INNS targets and that the issue was not receiving appropriate priority or funding.
Funding for INNS management in the UK tends to be short lived, and available for individual projects rather than directed towards routine actions that would avoid future costs. Stakeholders have highlighted INNS biosecurity underfunding, with most resources spent on established species as opposed to preventing new INNS arriving and establishing. NGO’s and academics have highlighted potential savings that could be made taking proactive measures to prevent the arrival of INNS before they become a problem.
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Acknowledgements
POSTnotes are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders and are externally peer reviewed. POST would like to thank interviewees and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including:
Contributors:
Members of the POST Board*
Steph Bradbeer, Yorkshire Water*
Emily Smith, The Angling Trust
Kate Mathers, Loughborough University*
Alison Dunn, University of Leeds*
Finn Barlow-Duncan, University of Leeds*
Matthew Bond, Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association
Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz, Coventry University*
Ross Cuthbert, Queens University Belfast*
Kate Dey, University of Portsmouth*
Helen Roy, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology*
Chris Thomas, University of York*
Lucy Cornwall, GB Non-native species Secretariat*
Niall Moore, GB Non-native species Secretariat*
Olaf Booy, GB Non-native species Secretariat*
Robert Black*
Alisha Anstee, The Woodland Trust*
Gordon Copp, CEFAS*
Hannah Tidbury, CEFAS*
Debbie Murphy, CEFAS*
Peter Barry, CEFAS*
Phil Davison, CEFAS*
Alex Green, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Anthony Ricciardi, McGill University*
Ellie Ward, Wildlife and Countryside Link*
Rachel Williams, RSPCA
Ros Clubb, RSPCA*
Ava Waine, Newcastle University*
Zarah Pattison, Newcastle University
Pete Robertson, Newcastle University*
Aileen Mill, Newcastle University
Wayne Dawson, Durham University
Max Wade, Chartered institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
Trevor Renals, Environment Agency
Silviu Petrovan, University of Cambridge
David Aldridge, University of Cambridge*
Kate Hills, South West Water*
Dick Shaw, CABI
Jane Catford, Kings College London*
Jonathan Hall, RSPB
*denotes people and organisations who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.
Invasive non-native species (456 KB , PDF)
This POSTnote will consider the sustainability of biomass crop feedstocks grown in the UK, and the land use and other challenges that may arise.
This POSTnote will summarise the evidence for different measures to mitigate emissions from different sources of air pollution.
Palliative and end of life care are increasingly in demand as people are living longer and with multiple long-term conditions. However, an estimated 100,000 people in the UK that could benefit from palliative care die without receiving it each year. There is substantial evidence that inequalities in access to palliative and end of life care relate to various sociodemographic factors. Experts have highlighted that access to palliative and end of life care may improve quality of life for patient and family and reduce symptom burden. This POSTnote summarises the key components of palliative and end of life care and recent changes in UK policy. It identifies inequalities and challenges to accessible provision. It also reviews evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of care and outlines key trends.