Advice
At the end of the day, it is not scientists who decide what happens to nature and thus determine its state, but politicians and administrations. For such a task, good intentions alone are not enough. It takes in-depth knowledge of the complex interconnections among natural systems, and of the impacts, both short-term and longrange, that interventions in the various ecosystems entail.
BfN considers it one of its most important tasks to provide this knowledge and advise decision-makers. The Agency thus delivers to the German Environment Ministry (BMU) the scientific expertise to underpin decision-making processes, and advises the Ministry on all issues relating to national and international nature conservation.
Besides its role in supporting federallevel policy, the Agency also works in close cooperation with Germany’s regional state (Land) authorities. One aim here is to ensure that the concepts and methods developed by the Agency - e.g. for landscape planning, species conservation and site protection - are applied in a uniform and thus widely comparable manner.
BfN values close cooperation with conservation NGOs, and strives to develop new conservation education approaches in order to create enthusiasm for nature among young people in particular.
Following the guiding vision of sustainable use of natural resources, new fields of activity are emerging in the realm of cooperative approaches involving conservation actors, industry and administrations.
This is exemplified by collaboration with agriculture and forestry, sports and tourism stakeholders and in the field of renewable energies.
The Agency carries out further important work in relation to 
international agreements. These include the:
- Convention on Biological Diversitydas Washingtoner Artenschutzübereinkommen
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
- Natura 2000 European protected area system
- Man and the Biosphere (MAB), a UNESCO programme for the sustainable use of the biosphere
