Greater Manchester Environment Plan 2019–2024
Chapter 10: Our natural world
An in-depth analysis of city region’s environment policy and where it falls short, presented in a series of 10 chapters related in the style of a fictional leader using language the crisis calls for #TellTheTruth
When we talk about climate change it can be easy to forget it is only one part of the ecological breakdown that we are causing ‘on our watch’.
So that said, I’m sorry there’s so little in this plan about how we’ll revive and protect the city region’s habitats, wildlife and greenery.
Not just because it gives people joy — but because it is essential to keep our region healthy and also to mitigate some of the effects of climate change.
To be fair, we’re already — thanks to Manchester City of Trees — on our way to planting 3 million trees in GM by 2035 and another 1–2 million by 2050, which will be a big help absorbing carbon.
But it’s important to remember, trees need to be established for a good 20 years before the benefits kick in — and even then can’t make up for the volume of emissions we’re producing.
(I’m not fooled by the likes of Shell planting trees — by all means be my guest, but be clear any benefits reaped are a drop in the (oil) ocean compared to emissions produced.)
For example — we intend to restore 50–75% of our peatlands.
Which is not just a nice thing to do for wildlife in the North West — but a vital life support measure for our people.
Peatlands hold up to 70% of our fresh drinking water (a resource that will get both more precious in our region in a warming climate AND more needed by a growing population), and they can also act as protection against flooding, a key consequence of climate change in our region.
And then there are our rivers and canals? We have more than 2500km of them — and my god what a mess they’re in;
70% ‘bear no resemblance to their natural state’ — having either been straightened or buried or choked
So by 2027 we need to sort them out — get them cleaner, host more habitats, support more wildlife, as well as re-meandered to better resist flooding.
But all of that is just ‘firefighting’ (sadly, there will be more of that on our moors and not just in summer as temperatures rise) ..
Our real mission is to create a new way of thinking about nature.
I’ve got another one of those buzz phrases for you — ‘biodiversity net gain’ — it just means an approach to development that leaves the natural world in a better state than before.
It is a bit like goal difference in football — but this time it really is a matter of life and death..
If you let in more goals than you score = bad; bottom of the table, eventual death of life on earth.
If you score more than you let in = good; top of table, long-lasting life of earth.
Any new development in Greater Manchester needs to score more goals than it lets in, in terms of the nature in and around it — trees, wildlife etc.
We have also announced a scheme to attract private investment into schemes to add an extra 10% of green infrastructure to Greater Manchester (the scheme is called Ignition, rather unfortunately in my eyes given the need to reduce carbon emissions) which will parcel up work in packets of £10m.
The first thing you’ll see on the ground will be a demonstration site on the University of Salford Campus — a ‘living test lab of the urban green infrastructure approach to combating climate change’ — but not before October 2021.
Hopefully other schemes will come along after that..coz we’ll only have nine years left to sort this all out according to the UN by then.
And none of us are looking forward to a new shocking report due out in few weeks that highlights the extent of wildlife and habitat loss across the world — which may lead to greater pressure all round for a greater focus on the natural world.
It does seem slightly contradictory I admit, that the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework announced in January included plans to build 40 of its 55 new developments on green belt …
…Plans that have sparked protests across the region from Bury to Saddleworth to Stockport to Salford to Timperely to Chorlton, a project to erect a new estate on open space makes the latest score Trees nil, Houses 70)
To be fair we were given a bit of a bum steer on the spatial framework rules by government civil servants .
So it’s back to the drawing board for us on that one .
Another watch this (brownfield) space…
This page is part of a series critiquing and presenting the Greater Manchester Environment Plan, in the style of fictional leader Sandy Turnham.
All measures and facts and descriptions are accurate as far as my understanding but some artistic licence has been taken with tone in order to #TellTheTruth.
3. Our homes and the energy we use
5. Our cars and how we get around
7. Our food and the waste we create
8. Our businesses and their responsibility
