NEMC 2026 opens call for presentations and posters

UKCEH, BES and UKEOF are inviting submissions for presentations and posters for the National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC), which will be held on Monday 14 December at the ICC Birmingham.  Registrations for the conference is now open.

Building on the foundations laid by NEMC 2024 and the collective momentum generated in 2025, NEMC 2026 will focus on turning a shared vision for UK environmental monitoring into sustained, coordinated action.

Submissions can be for one of four themed sessions, each exploring a major challenge in UK environmental monitoring.

The 2026 themes include:

• Challenges and opportunities for improved data capture and synthesis across scales, led by Katie Clark (Natural England), focusing on how local and national datasets can be better aligned and combined.
• Adaptation of new technologies to provide early insights into emerging environmental risks, led by Ann Humble (Welsh Government), highlighting practical applications of Earth Observations  , sensors, AI, modelling and/or rolling surveys.
• How to assess habitat condition in the face of climate adaptation challenges, led by Kim Dowsett (Climate Change Committee), examining how to measure subtle and significant changes in habitat condition with greater consistency.
• Creating a ‘circular economy’ for our data: The challenge of metadata, protocols and missing data, exploring barriers such as inconsistent metadata, fragmented protocols and missing or incomplete data 

Each session will feature short presentations (10-15 minutes) followed by an audience discussion. Participation is in person only. Deadline for submissions is 18 September. 

Opening keynote (speaker to be confirmed shortly)

Ecosystems are under increasing pressure, facing challenges to their resilience and existence. To protect them we need evidence to inform action, but the fabric of ecosystems is complex and interconnected with many pressures driving biodiversity loss and as a result the evidence picture is ‘complicated’. With such we need to pull together the pieces of evidence we have into a bigger coherent picture to assess current ecosystems state, change and drivers of change. We have great opportunity to do this now with the introduction of new technologies and if we can pull together the skills the UK have in combination with those of the wider community of Nations, much can be achieved.

NEMC 2026 will feature four themed sessions, each led by a Theme Lead:

Theme 1 – Challenges and opportunities for improved data capture and synthesis across scales
Theme Lead – Katie Clark, Natural England

There is a wealth of ingenuity and effort in environmental monitoring across the UK, but often we cannot share and combine our results to gain a bigger, more interconnected evidence picture. Often what we measure locally, cannot be used nationally or vice versa, or data from one domain cannot be combined with another’s to consider wider ecosystem impacts. This session explores ways to combine approaches and data, through considering common frameworks and new technologies.

Theme 2 – Adoption of new technologies to provide early insights into emerging environmental risks
Theme Lead – Ann Humble, Welsh Government

Current monitoring programmes often provide data after an event has occurred, limiting our potential to intervene to mitigate effects. Early warnings of emerging threats and risks enable more timely, effective, and often more cost-efficient responses. For this session we are looking for examples of practical and cost-effective methods being developed or already adopted, e.g. using EO, sensors, AI and modelling and/or rolling survey approaches which aim to provide these early insights.

Theme 3 – How to assess habitat condition in the face of climate adaptation challenges
Theme Lead – Kim Dowsett, Climate Change Committee

Human activities can detrimentally alter habitat condition, with such it is important to be able to assess not only significant change in condition, but also subtle change, as this can accumulate over time and lead to significant habitat degradation. We will explore the validity of this assertion and the necessity to measure condition with increased consistency and precision, the challenges of achieving this and what solutions there may be in new approaches and technologies.

Theme 4 – Creating a ‘circular economy’ for our data: the challenge of metadata, protocols, and missing data
Theme Lead – Welsh representative to be confirmed shortly

As organisations increasingly view data as a strategic asset, the concept of a “circular economy for data” is gaining traction, where data is continually reused, enriched, and repurposed rather than created and discarded in silos. However, achieving this vision remains elusive. This session explores the core barriers to building truly circular data ecosystems, focusing on three persistent challenges: inconsistent metadata, fragmented protocols, and the pervasive issue of missing or incomplete data.

Each themed session will include a series of short presentations (10–15 minutes), followed by a discussion. A typical session will include:

• A short introduction from the Theme Lead
• 2-3 presentations (10–15 minutes each including questions)
• A discussion involving speakers and the audience.
• Please note that attendance will be in person only, as hybrid and online participation will not be available.

BES, UKCEH and UKEOF are committed to supporting and developing careers in environmental science across industry and academia. They provide opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to broaden their skills, grow their networks, and realise their full potential.

To support this, funding is available for 20 ECRs to attend NEMC2026. Each successful applicant will receive a £150 award, which will be applied directly to cover the conference registration fee.

NEMC 2026 Planning Committee, Rapporteur and Conference Support Role 

We are offering a unique opportunity for one of our funded Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to take on a key role in the planning and delivery of the National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC) 2026, taking place on 14 December 2026 at the ICC Birmingham. 

As part of this role, you will join the NEMC Planning Committee and help shape the conference programme. You will contribute to planning discussions, support the selection of talks and posters, and gain valuable insight into how a national conference is developed and delivered.