The Nature ManifestoWhat Nature does for Britain

THE NATURE MANIFESTO sets out the proposals in What Nature does for Britain, the new book by Tony Juniper. They reflect how nature’s dividends underpin the UK economy, created by natural capital worth at least £1.5 trillion (ONS report, 2011), about the same as the current fiscal deficit. Backed by extensive case studies, expert views and a body of technical research, these manifesto proposals are offered to all parties in the forthcoming election. Their goal is to keep nature healthy and, in doing so, achieve practical benefits for Britain’s health, wealth and security.

Overview – three key asks

Because the practical and economic value of nature is often unclear, we fail to optimise what nature can do for us. This could be corrected through new framework legislation and

by having stronger coordination between different policy areas – for example those relating to farming, water and flood management. The situation would be improved through comprehensive economic assessments and having these reflected in policy choices.

1 Pass a Nature and Wellbeing Act with the overall aim of ‘restoring nature in a generation’. A core part of this new law

will require local authorities to prepare maps of current and future ecological networks to deliver water, flood control, carbon, pollination, tourism and recreational benefits, thereby taking forward many of the following manifesto priorities. Such maps would also guide future farm payments.

2 Set up a ministerial group between government departments to establish ways to make the best use of all money

being invested in land and nature – including farm payments, conservation budgets, water

company investments and flood defence spending, so that all achieve maximum public benefit.

3 Use British influence in the EU to press for new rules requiring all farm payments (not just a small proportion)

to be optimised to achieve multiple benefits in relation to soil protection, flood risk reduction, wildlife conservation (including pollinators and pest predators), improved water quality, recreation and carbon capture.

Soil, agricultural and organic waste

Soil is a national asset suffering serious damage because of how we farm and use land. Maintaining the capacity of soil to produce food while reducing some of the

environmental impacts that come with this can be achieved through, among other things, capturing nutrients from sewage works and food waste.

# Establish an official UK Soil Institute to monitor soil health and advise ministers across the UK on policies and decisions that affect soils.

THE NATURE MANIFESTO – What Nature does for BritainTHE NATURE MANIFESTO – What Nature does for Britain

# Ban waste food and other organic materials being sent to land-fill (already law in Scotland) and increase incentives for investment in anaerobic digestion technologies so as to meet ten percent of gas demand from this renewable source by 2025.

# Direct water companies to undertake cost-benefit studies on the installation of phosphate capture technology at their sewage treatment works.

Pollination and pest management

Services provided by wildlife are essential for food production. A variety of insects pollinate crops while others, including earwigs, predate pests, controlling their numbers

without chemicals. However, habitat loss, pesticides and pollution mean that many of these species are in decline or already lost.

# Boost pollinator and natural pest predator populations by adopting official targets for the restoration of flower rich habitats in farmed landscapes. Plant 5,000 kilometres of new high quality hedgerows and 5,000 hectares of new meadows, while improving the quality of existing habitats by 2025 through more resources for farmer advice and conditions linked to farm subsidy payments.

# Adopt a precautionary approach in relation to pesticides that are suspected of causing serious impacts to populations of wild pollinators and natural pest predators.

# Increase research funding into Integrated Pest Management, so as to better understand how wildlife can be integrated with crop protection. Use the research findings to draw up guidance for farmers on strategies to protect crops with fewer chemicals.

Marine & fisheries

Fishing provides healthy food and sustains thousands of British jobs. However, catches have been declining due to over-fishing and extensive damage to marine

ecosystems. Rebuilding fish stocks (and the ecosystems that sustain them) will secure significant economic and nutritional benefits.

# Implement an integrated marine spatial planning strategy, so as to balance the use of our seas for food, energy, conservation and tourism. Fund a major new marine survey programme so that this can be science-based.

# Fund industry bodies to establish a new training scheme in sustainable fishing for all new skippers.

# Adopt a leading position in EU fisheries negotiations using examples of best practice among fishermen to shape future policies.

Water – quality and costs

Natural systems such as blanket bogs, grasslands and woods help to purify water, however these have been progressively degraded; this leads to the contamination of

water, requiring more technology to clean it than would otherwise be the case. Nature’s water services can and should be restored to achieve secure public supply at lower cost.

# Require regulatory bodies responsible for water pricing and the environment (Ofwat and the Environment Agency in England) to work together and with water companies in devising integrated strategies for the improvement of the water environment, while keeping down consumer bills. Add a new duty on these bodies to control costs for future consumers.

# Recommit to UK leadership in meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, recognising the multiple benefits that come with a healthy water environment, including those from the re-naturalisation of rivers and wetlands.

# Work with the water industry to take forward plans for new reservoirs in water stressed areas, especially in the south and east of England, incorporating leading design to achieve benefits for water supply, conservation, recreation and tourism.

Flooding

Healthy natural systems store and slow water in the environment, thus reducing flood risks. This ‘green infrastructure’ can be harnessed to provide benefits in relation to the

protection of property and life in the face of extreme weather, and can often provide a cheaper solution than engineered defences.

# Require public bodies to collaborate in drawing up green infrastructure strategies, identify those areas where tree and hedge planting, wetland restoration, natural coastal enhancement and re-naturalising of floodplains would bring most benefit in reducing flood risk and target funding accordingly.

# Require water companies to undertake economic studies to identify where it would be cost effective for them to foster partnerships in catchments so as to improve water quality and cut flood risk while reducing bills. Specify this in the context of a new water stewardship duty on water companies to sustain the whole water cycle.

# Produce maps to indicate where it makes sense to periodically store floodwater on the land and provide official advice and assistance to farmers in integrating that function with food production. The Somerset Levels would be a good place to start.

Carbon and Climate Change

The debate on how to cut carbon dioxide has been dominated by energy and transport; a big part of the solution should also be linked with the management of natural

habitats: blanket bogs, woods, coastal dunes and soils hold billions of tonnes of carbon, providing a more cost effective strategy than solutions based on high-tech engineering.

# Set out an ambitious ecosystem carbon strategy that identifies priority areas for action, including restoring 200,000 hectares of peat ecosystems in England, ending peat extraction and encouraging compost-based alternatives in horticulture.

# Increase the staff and budget of the Forestry Commission and direct it to provide more help to woodland owners so that they can produce more sustainable construction tim-ber and wood fuel (for local consumption) while benefiting wildlife.

# Direct the Environment Agency to lead in developing a fresh approach toward integ-rated coastal management, including plans for the re-naturalising of coastline, and the identification of priority areas for carbon capture and storage.

Renewable Energy

The UK is rich in sources of renewable energy. Off- and onshore wind, wave, tidal and solar power can bring benefits for employment, industry and the environment.

Coupled with an ambitious programme of energy conservation, these technologies would help manage risks to our financial sector and the volatility seen in global fossil energy prices.

# Adopt policies that will enable at least 44 percent of UK electricity to be met from

THE NATURE MANIFESTO – What Nature does for Britain

renewable sources by 2030 and outline a strategy to meet 50 percent of power needs from sensitively-sited offshore wind and 20 percent more from wave and tidal sources by 2050. Publish new guidelines to ensure that all of the above is achieved while taking every opportunity to protect and enhance wildlife.

# Reaffirm the commitment enshrined in the 2008 Climate Change Act to cut UK emissions of carbon dioxide by at least 80 percent by 2050.

# Work with industry to set out an official strategy to ensure that the UK has the skills needed to achieve these targets, thereby maximising employment opportunities.

# Implement an aggressive nationwide energy efficiency programme, including the retrofit of the UK’s existing housing and commercial stock. This would help achieve the above energy supply targets and save money for households and businesses.

Health, wellbeing and recreation

A growing body of evidence points to the huge contribution made by nature to the nation’s health, including benefits from physical exercise and the therapeutic values of

natural environments in supporting good mental health. The potential for using nature in meeting health challenges could save billions of pounds per year. The enjoyment of nature is also the basis of a multi-billion pound per year tourism industry.

# Undertake an official review to determine the best value for money strategy that could be achieved through shifting one per cent of the NHS budget to fund a new ‘Nature for Health’ policy, including the restoration of natural areas in urban centres (targeting the most deprived first) and through supporting

nature-based treatment referrals from GPs and hospitals.

# Amend educational legislation so as to require that all children leave school with the knowledge, skills and motivation to care for and benefit from nature.

# Instruct the official nature conservation agencies to agree joint strategies with national and county tourism offices and nature-based sporting associations so as to promote contact with nature among a larger proportion of the UK’s population, and to maximise the associated economic opportunities.

What Nature does for Britain by Tony Juniper (Profile Books, February 2015) contains full explanation and context behind the Nature Manifesto proposals.