Rather than spelling disaster for environmental funding, the current debt crisis could provide an opportunity to create a win-win scenario for the environment and economic recovery – that was the message from an Aldersgate Group panel debate in December last year, attended by the BES Policy Team and summarised in a debate report published today.

On the panel were; Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, Sir John Harman, Director of the Aldersgate Group, Paul Ekins, Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy at University College London, and David Baldock, Director at the Institute of European Environmental Policy.

The speakers agreed that at a time when businesses critically need to minimise costs, measures to improve resource efficiency and reduce waste could give them a significant competitive edge. However, there was consensus that barriers such as a lack of long-term policy coherence and the lock-in of existing infrastructure will need to be addressed in order to pursue this opportunity for green economic recovery, and that Governments will need to demonstrate increased investment in research and development and measures such as the reform of environmentally perverse subsidies.

Last week the European Commission announced their plans for the new EU budget. The new budget, known as the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF) sets how much will be spent over the years 2014 to 2020, and how this money will be allocated.

Overall few changes have been made to the size of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget however there have been significant changes in the way in which this money will be allocated. Of the overall €372 billion budget around two thirds will be allocated to Pillar 1 which makes direct payments to farmers. 30% of direct payments from the CAP will be used to encourage environmentally sound practices, as part of a greening of the CAP. €4.5 billion will be spent on research into food security.

The Pillar 2 budget, which is used to fund agri-environment schemes, will be cut over the period by about 7%, leading some organisations such as WWF to doubt the ability of the new budget to deliver the ambitious environmental goals set out in Europe 2020. Sacrifices in this part of the budget have been made to avoid cutting direct payments to farmers. Another key concern is the new freedom that member states will have to move funding around between pillars 1 and 2 which many anticipate will further reduce the amount spent on environmental projects.

The budget for LIFE+, the EU scheme to fund nature and biodiversity projects has only been increased by a small fraction leading many organisations to doubt the ability of the new budget to maintain the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. National financing plans for Natura 2000 may be the only hope to protect our natural capital

The external budget, which funds initiatives such as the Global Climate and Biodiversity Fund and the European Development Fund, has been increased but it remains unclear how much funding will go specifically to projects to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. Whether this money will be used in a way that contributes towards the millennium development goals whilst simultaneously delivering solutions for biodiversity remains to be seen, although the budget does state that the European Parliament are committed to contributing financially to help meet commitments on biodiversity and climate change.

Funding for research will focus on projects that cannot be achieved by countries acting alone. The budget states that Horizon 2020, the new framework for research funding, will focus on key sectoral policy priorities such as climate change, food security and unsustainable resource use.

The results of a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Essex show that a ‘dose’ of nature is good for your health and well-being. Professor Jules Pretty and Dr Jo Barton analysed ten studies conducted by the university over the past six years, involving over 1200 participants. They found that ‘green exercise’ improved self-esteem and mood irrespective of duration, intensity, location, gender, age and health status. The researchers therefore conclude that the environment provides an important, and often overlooked health service.

Physical inactivity results in roughly one in 25 deaths worldwide, linked as it is to obesity and as a risk factor in many chronic diseases. More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban settlements; contact with the environment is becoming rarer. The resuls outlined by the University of Essex suggest that access to local greenspace should be prioritised in the design of sustainable towns and cities, leading to both conservation and health benefits – and therefore benefits for the economy and society.

The researchers’ analysis showed that mood improvements were greatest in participants undertaking light and vigourous activity, suggesting that there is a health benefit from any short engagement in green space. The presence of water generated greater improvements in mood and self-esteem for all participants. The greatest change for self-esteem as a result of exposure to green exercise was in younger participants, with diminishing effects with age. The mentally ill showed one of the greatest improvements in self-esteem, suggesting significant value in encouraging this group to undertake green exercise.

The researchers acknowledge that more needs to be done to disentangle the relative contribution of exercise per se and green environments to the mood and self-esteem alterations demonstrated. Research is also necessary to assess the benefits of undertaking green exercise with other people (social capital) and the benefits of connections with animals. However they conclude that attention should be given to the use of green exercise as a therapeutic intervention on the basis of the evidence presented; that planners and architects should improve access to green space and that children should be given the opportunity to learn in outdoor settings. Shifts in urban design, transport policy, support for social care and parenting can help to embed physical activity as a necessary part of life, and ensure that the public are able to take advantage of the full suite of benefits provided by green space.

Pretty, J., Barton, J. What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environmental Science and Technology (March 2010).

The Natural Capital Initiative will be organising an event later this year focused on ‘ecosystem services and health’. Further details will be available on the NCI website in due course. To register your interest contact Policy@BritishEcologicalSociety.org.

Researchers analysing the success of urban ‘greening’ projects have concluded that projects tend to ignore the social and environmental impacts of the schemes, focusing instead on economic outcomes; often from the perspective of the developer. Continuous and focused monitoring of green developments, along with a greater emphasis on involving all stakeholders, could improve the success of greening projects.

Brownfield sites, land previously used but now vacant or derelict, are often the target for land-use policy, with schemes aiming to regenerate these sites to provide social and amenity benefits in urban areas. Researchers developed a ‘logic model’ which describes brownfield greening projects in terms of inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes (or indirect outputs). Outputs could include the area of land regenerated and facilities provided, and outcomes could include biodiversity targets and cohesive communities.

The model was applied to six case studies of brownfield greening – aiming to establish trees, woodlands and quality green space with amenity value. In many cases, public surveys indicated dissatisfaction with outcomes of the projects; spaces were not used by diverse groups and there were aesthetic and design problems. In one case, the development phase of the project had not been completed, which led to poor tree health.

The researchers conclude that urban greening projects should incorporate a greater focus on outcomes and a flexible monitoring process involving a range of stakeholders, in order to maximise success.

Doick, K.J., Sellers, G. Caston-Broto, V. & Silverthorne, T. (2009). Understanding success in the context of brownfield greening projects: The requirement for outcome evaluation in urban greenspace success assessment. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 8:163-178.

Last night saw the second event organised by the Natural Capital Initiative, a joint partnership between the BES, the Institute of Biology and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The topic under discussion was ‘Sustainable Cities’, with high-profile speakers presenting their arguments before a large audience of policymakers, urban designers, ecologists, students and members of the public.

Dr. William Bird, a practising GP and Strategic Health Advisor to Natural England, opened proceedings by reminding the audience of the oft-overlooked health benefits of green spaces. This was a particularly valuable way of contextualising the ensuing debate, giving the lie to any idea that green spaces are simply an abstract indulgence of the well-off, and instead clearly demonstrating that greening a city is a human welfare issue. Numerous studies have shown that when we see green areas and trees our blood pressure decreases, our heart rate drops and our brainwaves change to relaxed alpha waves. As a result, global studies have shown a clear link between obesity levels and areas with fewer green spaces. People have also been shown to live longer if they live by green spaces, though intriguingly, this effect is particularly noticeable amongst the poorest sectors of society. Green spaces can therefore serve to close the currently-widening gap between rich and poor levels of health and life expectancy, further highlighting the fact that greening cities is an important welfare issue.

Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London, harked back to the great reformers of the Victorian Age who worked on issues such as disease, poverty and labour conditions, pointing out that these problems were worked upon and largely solved in the cities. He argued that it is the same again today, with 70-80% of the world’s carbon emissions coming from cities, leading to the conclusion that if we can achieve sustainable urban environments, we can basically sort climate change. He saw local power generation as an important factor in achieving this, pointing out that there is still only one power station at present in the whole of London. As a high-profile politician with excellent networks, it was sad to hear him so pessimistic about the world’s current efforts to combat climate change. He also reminded us of the sobering point that whilst the UK could be dramatically affected by climate change, as an island nation in the temperate zone it will avoid the worst ravages of climate change- it is the poorest and least resilient in developing nations who in fact will be most affected.

Peter Wilder, a prominent landscape architect, meanwhile outlined the need for ‘green infrastructure’, such as biofiltration systems, and a return to stewardship, whilst Malcolm Smith, a director at Arup, highlighted the fact that retro-fitting is the main answer when it comes to looking for solutions. Despite our great attraction to the glamour and spectacle of the new, he argued that 95% of the city is out there already, and so any meaningful solution has to be focused on the comparatively unsexy work of making existing homes and offices more sustainable. Finally Lorna Walker, an urban design consultant, argued that it is imperative to remember that individual people are at the centre of any solution to greening a city, and that technological change cannot simply be relied upon. Rather, it is imperative to ensure that the population is engaged with rather that turned off by anti-climate change measures. She also added that in London we already have a great starting point from which we can lead by example- 37% of the capital is designated green space (and astonishingly, that figure does not include gardens), and there is plenty of potential for inspirational improvement given the right leadership.

A high quality and wide-ranging debate with the audience followed, after which drinks and nibbles, as well as some excellent posters from PhD students, provided a relaxed opportunity to discuss some of the evening’s issues and to meet with other relevant actors in the urban environment sector.

For more details on this and future events of the Natural Capital Initiative, please visit here.

New research published in Biology Letters indicates that real efforts must be made to maintain green space in our towns and cities as human society becomes ever-more urbanised.

Researchers Richard Fuller, University of Queensland, and Kevin Gaston, University of Sheffield, examined data on urban land cover from the European Environment Agency, selecting 386 cities across Europe as the focus of their investigation, based on land area covered and population size. Cities in Europe tended to have a greater proportion of green space than those in the South. The researchers found that the amount of green space contained within a city varied enormously: from 3 – 4 square metres per person in Cádiz, Fuenlabrada and Almería in Spain and Reggio di Calabria in Italy, to more than 300 square metres per person in Liège in Belgium, Oulu in Finland and Valenciennes in France.

The UK bucked a trend found across Europe: in 67 UK cities selected for the study, the amount of green space did not increase with increasing population size, but with overall city area.

The study suggests that residents will have less access to green space as cities grow, with consequent effects on health and well-being, unless measures are taken to actively preserve and maintain this. The researchers recommend that systematic conservation planning should be built into development plans for cities and that tools should be developed which balance benefits to biodiversity, human well-being and economic growth, when designing urban areas fit for the 21st Century.

Access full paper: Fuller, R. A. and Gaston, K.J. (2009). The scaling of green space coverage in European cities. Biology Letters. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2009.0010.

The Natural Capital Initiative, supported by the Science Council and British Library, is holding an event on 15th June focused on ‘Sustainable Cities’. All are welcome. Click here for further information.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today launched a new strategy for the UK’s Capital, aimed at better preparing the city and its people for the challenges of climate change. The strategy is claimed as a first for a world city.

Measures outlined in the strategy include measures to ‘green’ London; including the use and design of green spaces, green roofs and tree-planting to reduce water run-off and flooding, and greater preparedness for extreme weather events expected under climate change, specifically flooding, drought and heatwaves. There are plans to increase public awareness of flood risk in the capital, alongside a promotion, and compulsory introduction, of water metering to reduce water consumption.

Launching the strategy, the Mayor commented: “the range of weather conditions facing London…could seriously threaten our quality of life…and endanger our pre-eminence as one of the world’s leading cities”. The Mayor’s manifesto included an ambitious target to cut London’s carbon emissions by 60% by 2025.

Organisations are invited to comment on the first draft of the strategy. As a result of these comments, a second draft will be published for public consultation in 2009.

Access the Mayor’s website with official press release and the draft strategy

Researchers at the University of Sussex have concluded that recycling household waste is a complicated as completing a Sudoku puzzle.