Farming News - Action on natural environment key to Government’s green credentials
News
Action on natural environment key to Government’s green credentials
Today the Government will publish its Natural Environment White Paper, the first such major statement of policy on the natural environment for over 20 years. The White Paper will be a hugely important vehicle for delivering on the Prime Minister’s promise to lead the Greenest Government Ever.
Countryside champions the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has welcomed the Government’s commitment to the White Paper. Ahead of publication, CPRE has set out some key tests that will determine how well the White Paper will protect our environment and countryside in the years to come.
Ben Stafford, Head of Campaigns at CPRE, says: “If the Natural Environment White Paper really is to deliver on the Government’s promise to be the greenest ever it will need to be ambitious and wide-ranging. It needs to set out a bold vision for how we can restore our countryside, and attach greater value to our landscapes, with the support of Ministers right across the Government.”
CPRE believes the White Paper needs to:
- Recognise the crucial relationship between good planning and environmental protection. With the Government’s Localism Bill currently going through Parliament, and a comprehensive re-write of planning policy on the horizon, it is critical that Ministers show they understand the essential role of planning in acting in the public interest to protect and improve the environment, and not just as a tool to drive economic growth, as suggested by George Osborne in his Budget [1].
- Deliver for the whole natural environment, not just biodiversity. We know Ministers are concerned about declines in wildlife, and they are right to be so. But the natural environment is about much more than just biodiversity. This White Paper must set out what the Government will do to protect and improve our landscapes, safeguard tranquillity in the countryside and tackle light pollution. These things matter hugely to the millions of people who visit the countryside for relaxation and inspiration, as well as to those who live and work in it.
- Value nature in its own right. This week’s National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) [2] is a hugely important report that begins to put a price on many of the services nature provides, and shows that we have under-valued them for far too long. It will be a vital tool for decision-makers. But price and value are not the same thing. We need to be clear that there are things that cannot, and should not, be measured in pounds and pence. Beauty, tranquillity and the inspiration provided by nature are worth protecting for their own sake, not just for their economic value or impact on the national balance sheet.
Ben Staffordconcluded: “We hope everyone who loves the countryside, our beautiful landscapes and the wildlife they support will be able to support the Natural Environment White Paper and the opportunities it presents. But its effectiveness will depend on how far the whole Government gets behind it.
“We need some poetry from this White Paper among all the prose. If we really value and want to protect nature, we should be unashamed to say that it is because of the joy and inspiration it brings us, as well as the services it provides. What price a beautiful view? How do we measure the worth of a breathtaking sunset, or a picture-perfect English landscape of rolling fields and hedgerows? In grim economic times, the Government has the chance to lift our sights and our spirits – let’s hope they take it.”