The advancement of environmental protection and improvement includes preservation and conservation of the natural environment and the promotion of sustainable development. Conservation of the environment includes the conservation of a particular animal, bird, or other species or ‘wildlife’ in general; a specific plant species, habitat or area of land, including areas of natural beauty and scientific interest; flora, fauna and the environment generally. Charities concerned with environmental protection or improvement may need to produce independent expert evidence, that is authoritative and objective, to show that the particular species, land or habitat to be conserved is worthy of conservation. Further guidance on this can be found in the commission’s guidance Preservation and Conservation (RR9).
Examples of the sorts of charities and charitable purposes falling within this description include:
charities concerned with conservation of flora, fauna or the environment generally
charities concerned with conservation of a particular geographical area
charities concerned with conservation of a particular species
zoos
the promotion of sustainable development and biodiversity
the promotion of recycling and sustainable waste management
research projects into the use of renewable energy sources