Sector analysis is a policy tool which helps English Nature to understand the ways in which key businesses and industry impact on nature conservation. We use the term 'sector' broadly to describe industrial categories whose activities have a significant impact, either positively or negatively, on nature conservation.

Sector analysis gives us an overview of the diverse influences on nature conservation, and enables us to instigate changes by working with key businesses and industry alongside relevant statutory and non-statutory organisations, and other interested parties.

Working in this way, we aim to characterise each sector in terms of its scope and socio-economic and political factors, and to identify the key shapers and players for each sector, at national and regional level. Key shapers define and drive policy development for the sector (i.e. they define the rules of the game). Key players are those organisations and others who seek to influence the policy environment.

This awareness shows us where we should focus our priority actions to improve the contribution each sector makes to nationally important nature conservation targets. It also gives us the opportunity to influence policy changes essential to achieve wildlife gain.

We have identified 10 sectors best placed to deliver positive contributions to wildlife gain, as well as preventing further loss and damage, on and beyond special sites. We have decided to focus effort and resources on six of these where changes are needed to achieve national nature conservation targets. These priority sectors are agriculture, coastal management, construction & development, sea fisheries, transport and water. We will maintain our work with the four other sectors (forestry; minerals & aggregates; ports; tourism, recreation & access) where implementation of existing policy and investment in good practice are needed.

We have identified the links between our six priority sectors and relevant businesses. We will engage with these companies to help them integrate management for nature conservation into their business and culture, particularly in the context of The engagement of business chapter of Working with the grain of nature, the biodiversity strategy for England (Defra, 2002). We will promote 'biodiversity tests' for businesses to help them improve both their environmental performance standards and performance reporting.

In January 2004 we published, on English Nature's website, the first ever analysis of the performance of the corporate sector in delivering our nature conservation objectives. The analysis shows:

• 81 companies own or manage 65,800 hectares of SSSI land (approximately 6% of the total SSSI land in England).
• The water sector, with 20 water companies owning or managing 43,000 hectares of SSSI land (approximately 4% of the total SSSI land in England) has the biggest direct influence on SSSIs.
• Other FSE sectors with exposure to SSSI landholdings include Transport, Construction,and Building Materials, Electricity, Leisure, Entertainment and Hotels, and Steel and other metals.
• 57% of land owned/managed by companies is in favourable condition. This is just below the national average.

We use sector analysis to inform our planning processes. Each analysis shows a provisional list of priority actions, as well as a regional breakdown, for both national and area teams, and will be used in conjunction with other management tools to illustrate areas where we can influence others and report on good practice to achieve our nature conservation goals.

Each sector is managed by a Sector Lead, supported by a General Manager. If you have any queries on our sector analysis, please contact the relevant Sector Lead, as shown in the following table.