2. Microeconomic Evidence for the Benefits of Investment in the Environment - review (NERR033) A new research report from Natural England which is downloadable: 

http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/32031 

MEBIE – the Micro-Economic Benefits of Investment in the Environment Review is an in-house     literature review. It is focussed around ''green infrastructure’' interventions and is structured using the Ecosystem Approach. It is designed to help Natural England staff make the case for the natural environment to decision makers such as Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships. Published on 1 March 2012: ecosystem services, green infrastructure, Natural England Research Reports and Valuing the Natural Environment.

3. The Government has introduced a new programme called the Coastal Communities Fund to support economic development projects in coastal areas across the UK. The Fund will have around £23 million available each year for projects and will be delivered on behalf of the government by the Big Lottery Fund.

The Fund is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities by promoting sustainable economic growth and jobs, so that people are better able to respond to the changing economic needs and opportunities of their area.  Capital and revenue grants in excess of £50,000 are available for a wide range of applicant organisations and projects which benefit coastal communities.  Consideration will be taken of how plans for economic growth address the local needs and priorities, the amount of jobs that will be created and their long-term sustainability.

Applicants will be expected to show that their project will contribute to the Coastal Community Fund programme outcomes. By outcomes we mean the changes that will come about as a result of your project. All projects have to meet outcome 1: Coastal communities are better able to use their assets (physical, natural, social, economic and cultural) to promote sustainable economic growth and jobs;

And meet at least one of the following outcomes:

2. Coastal Communities have greater capacity to create a sustainable economic future and are better equipped to adapt to change;

3. Partnerships are developed to support economic innovation, enterprise and investment either within a community and/ or across a number of coastal communities;

4. People have more opportunities for training and skills development, including volunteering.

If you are unsure of anything else on Coastal Communities Fund, or would like further help, please call 0300 456 4746                               or email ccf@bigfund.org.uk

What’s needed in Rio+20? BES Ecology & Policy Blog Posted: 14 Jan 2012 The Rio +20 Earth Summit, taking place in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, needs to build upon the momentum begun by the last round of UNFCCC climate change negotiations in Duban, South Africa. That was the message of an event in Parliament on 12th January 2012, organised by the Aldersgate Group (co-sponsored by WWF) and attended by the BES Policy Team. Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, gave the opening speech, emphasising the positives which had emerged from the climate change negotiations; primarily from the ‘huddle’ called on the conference floor at the eleventh hour by the South African delegation. Using the analogy of the film ‘Sliding Doors’, where each of two realities were equally possible depending on the choices made in an instant, Chris Huhne suggested that the outcomes of the talks could have been very different, if it wasn’t for strong leadership by a number of countries. Outcomes from Durban included an extension to the Kyoto Protocol and a commitment to develop a successor- an international legally-binding framework to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases – no later than 2015, to come into force in 2020. Parties to the negotiations have also recognised the need for greater urgency and ambition in tackling emissions; acknowledging that the timetable for action and the pledged emissions cuts lag someway behind the necessary momentum suggested by climate science. One of the important commitments to emerge from Durban is to a Green Climate Fund, which will assist developing countries in their efforts to establish clean energy mechanisms. Member countries of the UNFCCC are required to contribute to the fund, although the Secretary of State and others at the Aldersgate Group event recognised that public money will need to be used to leverage significant amounts of private funding for the mechanism to be a success; there were questions around whether and how, this would be possible. The Green Climate Fund builds on the pledges made at the Copenhagen negotiations in 2009, to mobilise $100 billion per year for clilmate change adaptation and mitigation. In a question and answer session to follow the Secretary of State’s speech, one delegate challenged the Government to be yet more ambitious during international negotiations, inviting Chris Huhne to give his view on innovative approaches that can really help to move the international community towards a ‘paradigm shift’ and new political reality. To this, Chris Huhne replied that investment in science and innovation would be key; an interesting statement given the extensive analysis in recent months by the Campaign for Science and Engineering that the UK science budget is actually going to decline in real terms to 2015, whilst other countries are investing in R and D as a way out of recession. David Nussbaum, CEO of WWF UK, speaking later in the evening, emphasised the importance of Rio +20 leading to action, not rhetoric and to a vision of human development proceeding in parallel with conservation of the planet’s ‘life support systems’ (ecosystem services). Consistency across the UK Government will be vital. A speaker from the Aldersgate Group echoed this point when calling for the Prime Minister to vest genuine responsibility in the negotiating team from Defra who will be sent to Rio; allowing substantial pledges to action to be made. The final speaker, from the Aldersgate Group, was pragmatic, saying that ‘Durban teaches us that we must manage our expectations for Rio’; the pace of political negotiations and of change can be achingly slow. Alongside international negotiations, he suggested, we must develop a pluralistic consensus on the need for change. BES Policy 14 January 2012 An Aldersgate Group event on 16th May will see Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spelman MP, deliver a speech looking forward to Rio +20 and outlining the UK Government’s position on the Summit. .

2011 Water Framework Directive - Key points:

1. Over several decades while water quality in rivers has improved the water ecology has not improved at the same pace. The WFD aims to restore more naturally functioning water bodies with high quality habitats for wildlife and providing a full range of services with cleaner water for drinking, recreation & economic uses through more sustainable use of water in rivers, groundwater and wetlands.

2. Water companies are looking to move from treatment works type solutions to more sustainable treatment  systems (reducing chemical and energy inputs).

3. EA outcome focussed and aiming for at least 43% of 103 different water bodies across the South West to be in ‘Good Status’ by 2015.   Improvements to failing elements will address fish stocks, phosphorous levels and physical habitat. The EA is taking a catchment approach to diffuse & point source pollution clustering rivers within catchments together.

4. One of ten DEFRA pilot catchments is in the SW and these pilots are exploring best practice ways of working together to improve the water environment and the EA has funding available to take Water Framework partnerships forward.

5. New & innovative partnerships are being developed on a very local level and the EA are keen to support these. Many partnerships are not being led by the EA and the EA is welcoming proposals from 3^rd parties to deliver ‘good status’ outcomes in the 103 water bodies.

6. Community engagement: Third parties can engage with the EA by bidding into the Catchment Restoration fund  held by DEFRAP. People are likely to either engage in a single issue across a large geography or multiple issues in a single local geography – such as a river. It will be a challenge to initiate new initiatives and start delivery but there is a need to be more active and less passive. A co-ordinated and consistent framework for delivery is required which allows for local differences.

7. Martin Ross from South West Water summarised their Upstream Thinking project which have undertaken practical actions to achieve sustainable water supplies and sustainable land management to promote water supplies. They have worked with farmers and delivery partners from the 3^rd sector to reconnect communities and local knowledge.

8. CAP Reform in 2014 will be an important time to ensure the total environmental performance of the farm is examined to ensure water issues are addressed.

9. December 2011 will see a new Water White Paper  which will be a counterpart to the Natural Environment White Paper.

10. The Forestry Commission and Environment Agency havepublished a paper: Woodland for Water.  Woodland is very much a part of our farmed environment and has long served our countryside with the provision of fuel, timber, recreation and a valuable habitat for wildlife. However, this report recognises that woodland offers further services to water regulation and land management. This report is available here.

1. Check the Planning Reform page for the latest comments from SWEN members on the New National Planning Framework consultation which closed mid October 2011.

2. The new White Paper for the the Natural Environment was published on 7th June 2011: The Natural Choice available on www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/   The following press release is a statement issued by Avon Wildlife Trust - No Act for Action on the Environment. The Trust acknowledge that while the White Papers vision is clear and admirable there is not enough detail on how the 92 commitments will be delivered. Please check your local Wildlife Trusts websites for their views on the natural environment white paper.  

3. SWEN RESOURCING for 2011/12. The rationale for a continuing network of environment organisations in the South West is stronger than ever following the significant changes in local and central government. In a period of resource scarcity and reduced capacity in environment organisations and when concerns for the environment are greater than ever, the need for strong networks & partnerships, resource sharing and good evidence is clear. With reduced support from statutory agencies the third sector is leading the environment conversation but with considerably reduced resources.  SWEN is currently submitting funding applications to enable the Network to continue through this period of transition.    

4. Green Space South West Newsletter December 2010.  This newsletter provides an update and overview of whats going on within the green space network in the south west which is of considerable interest to most SWEN members. GSSW's mission is to provide a united voice dedicated to promoting, advocating and lobbying for the regeneration and sustainable future of quality green spaces throughout the South West. For more information visit: www.green-space.org.uk/southwest/

 Previously

1. October 2010  A note on agriculture and rural land use. In January 2010 a new (old government) Food Strategy was launched, the Greenest Government made DEFRA commitments for reform, questions about what land is for and the future of Englands uplands were raised, a review of the strength of our ecological network of wildlife sites has been published, we have the first White Paper on the Natural Environment being drafted for 20 years and proposals continue to develop for a sustainable production agenda for Europe. The  note is intended as a brief snapshot of relevant and current discussions highlighting key developments, changes & aspirations, and offers links to further information. 

2. JULY 2010 Marine briefing note:Summary of the Marine Plenary June 11th 2010 (including web references and important marine organisations).

3. MARCH 2010 The SWEN 2010 Environment Priorities are available as a downloadable Pdf:  SWEN Priorities Web version. The top 4 SWEN environment priorities as agreed by all members across the south west were launched on Tuesday 30th March 2010. The Priorities provide a focus for delivery of environment outcomes over the next 5 years.

4. NOVEMBER 2009 The Landscape Plenary provided an overview of the European Landscape Convention. The notes from this meeting are available: SWEN Landscape Plenary November 2009, the European Landscape Convention and The Research Box's presentation of the qualitative landscape research looking at public attitudes and values to landscape.  

Since SWEN was formed in 1999, the network has made an important contribution to the regional environment agenda. It has encouraged and enabled:

• The sharing of information and intelligence

• More and improved partnership working

• Access to a range of organisations and initiatives on a variety of issues

• The continuing promotion, protection and enhancement of the South West's environment

Membership of this network is continually growing and it is proving to be an important voice in the busy regional agenda. SWEN has a significant input on an increasing range of issues and initiatives.