Hi, I’m Tom Leeman, Policy & Public Affairs Manager at the Royal Entomological Society, and this is an overview of the first quarter of Policy and Public Affairs news of 2026, providing an update on recent activity and upcoming work across our engagement in Westminster and beyond.
2026 is the first full year of RES being the secretariat of the Bees, Pollinators and Invertebrates APPG, and the publication of the new Pollinator Action Plan (PAP) is expected in the autumn.
Bees, Pollinators and Invertebrates APPG
We have organised several workstreams and events to cover different areas of importance to our membership:
Joint APPG event on IPBES Report with the Nature Minister (17 March): Following the publication of the IPBES 12 Report, the APPG hosted a roundtable event with the International Conservation APPG. The event saw attendees put questions to Nature Minister Mary Creagh CBE MP on a wide range of topics, including international biodiversity conferences such as CBD COP17 in Armenia.
Image: RES CEO Simon Ward (top left) with Nature Minister Mary Creagh CBE MP, APPG Chair Barry Gardiner MP and APPG officers
Regarding pollinators, RES CEO Simon Ward asked the Minister about the government’s response to the recent IPBES report, which highlights the damaging effect that declining biodiversity could have on businesses across the world.
Insect Week events
There will be two Insect Week events: the first on 9 June, which will be a private tour of the Natural History Museum’s entomology collections for parliamentarians, followed by a dinner at a private dining venue in Kensington. Attendees, drawn from members of parliament and entomologists working across the country, will see exhibits in the Museum usually not accessible to the public.
The second will be a photo shoot in Portcullis House (opposite the Palace of Westminster) on 23 June for Chair Barry Gardiner and APPG officers.
APPG Inquiry on invasive species (July – September)
The APPG will also hold an inquiry in the second half of 2026 on invasive species affecting pollinator health, and how to improve the UK’s surveillance and biosecurity systems to detect and stop them. There will be two inquiry panel sessions, in early July and early September.
Five parliamentarians besides Barry have agreed to appear on the inquiry panel. They are Blake Stephenson MP and Lord Randall (both Conservative), Manuela Perteghella MP and Pippa Heylings MP (both Liberal Democrat) and Adrian Ramsay MP (Green).
For the Autumn, we are planning events in Westminster and at CDP COP17 in Armenia to mark the publication of the inquiry report.
Parliamentary meetings
Much of the RES Policy and Public Affairs Strategy hinges on building the Society’s contacts in Westminster.
On 20 January, Simon and Tom both attended the Great British Wildlife Restoration in Speaker’s House, organised by BIAZA. Tom met members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee including Ruth Jones MP and Henry Tuffnell MP (both Labour).
Simon and Tom met Anna Gelderd MP (Labour) on 1 February. Anna is a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and has a background in marine conservation. Anna encouraged RES to facilitate a joint ministerial event between DEFRA and DESNZ as part of its role as APPG secretariat.
Image: Simon with Anna Gelderd MP
Furthermore, Simon and Tom met with Josh Newbury MP on 11 March. Josh is the Chair of the Food Security APPG, and expressed interest in holding joint APPG events with the Bees, Pollinators and Invertebrates APPG in future. Simon and Josh also discussed changes to sustainable farming incentives (SFIs).
RES outreach to DEFRA on SFIs, SPS Agreement
In January, RES contacted several stakeholders in Westminster on the topic of SFIs. Following news that a finalised list of SFIs would be announced in the spring, Simon wrote to Director of DEFRA’s Farming and Countryside Programme Mike Rowe, recommending that DEFRA protect SFIs linked to pollinators, such as those related to insecticides and integrated pest management.
Furthermore, Labour MP for Stratford and Bow Uma Kumaran submitted a written question on behalf of RES, asking the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP, for an update on the government’s approach to SFIs.
RES is also monitoring developments regarding the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, the terms of which the Government is negotiating. The details of a future agreement would impact regulation in several areas pertinent to RES, including pesticide use, and insects as food and feed. The EFRA Select Committee recently published a report into the SPS Agreement negotiations, advocating for carve-outs for various sectors.
Pollinator Action Plan
In January, Simon and Tom attended a meeting of the Pollinator Action Plan Steering Group, convened by DEFRA. The draft plan confirms that the PAP will focus on four key areas:
- improving the research evidence base;
- managing land;
- improving pollinator health;
- and engaging the public.
DEFRA have agreed that future steering group meetings will engage each of the four areas one by one to aid specificity. Policy and Public Affairs will attend the next meeting, due to be held on 22 April.
Work with UN FAO
Also in January, Policy and Public Affairs worked with Dr Hien Ngo of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Dr Hien had authored a briefing for the UK Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome (where the UN FAO is based) on improving global coordination for the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators.
Specifically, the briefing sought to inform the Ambassador about the benefits of a global pollinator platform ahead of a presentation to the Ambassador by the UN FAO. RES helped to send the briefing to Ambassador Evelyn Ashton-Griffiths prior to the presentation in Rome.
Next steps
Over the course of 2026, Policy and Public Affairs is planning to set up several working groups, each of which will focus on a specific area important to our membership. These will focus on:
- conservation/insect population recovery;
- food security;
- and vector-borne disease.
Each group will be made up of five or six people.
