01.06.20
Mayor responds to IPPR report ‘A plan for nature in the North’
Mayor of Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis has welcomed a new report today (June 1) from The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) on the Natural Assets in the North.
The report, A plan for nature in the north of England: Natural Assets North, sets out four key recommendations from the thinktank and charity, IPPR North, to boost the north of England’s social and environmental landscape through new powers and funds from Westminster.
The key recommendations are:
- Collaboration between Northern leaders and organisations for open discussion and aligned decision-making across the North.
- To develop a strategic vision for nature in the North, incorporating a regional Natural Recovery Strategy agreed by Northern leaders, including metro mayors, N11 group of LEPs, Transport for the North and statutory bodies for nature such as Environment Agency and others.
- Government funding for the development of a spatial strategy for investment in nature in the North.
- ‘Substantial, long-term and devolved funding’ from Government to allow the Plan for Nature in the North to be put into practice, with £50-100bn estimated investment over the next 25 years.
Responding to the report, Mayor Jarvis said:
“I warmly welcome this vital report from IPPR North. It highlights how important nature is, not just in its own right but as an economic asset, a source of well-being, and a tool in the fight against flooding, pollution and climate change – benefits that are often overlooked and under-measured, but which are very real. The relative lack of access to nature by those in deprived areas and BAME groups makes this an issue of equality and basic social justice as well. Ignoring these issues is a luxury we cannot afford, especially in the difficult circumstances we are now in.
“This is why I’ve put a greener economy at the heart of what we are trying to achieve in South Yorkshire, with plans for major boosts to active travel and public transport, and support for industries at the cutting edge of the carbon transition. And we are supporting a major programme of tree-planting to bring nature into our neighbourhoods, improve quality of life, increase space for wildlife, and help control flood risks along the beautiful Don River valley which runs through the heart of our region.
“We need a Plan for Nature in the North, led by regional leaders, to safeguard our nature, and realise its potential across our region. It is an investment we urgently need to make in our planet, our people and our future.”