Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : More must be done to prevent grave violations against children – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 February 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on children in armed conflict.

I would like to thank the Government of Malta for convening us today and congratulate you on taking up the chair of the CAAC Working Group. We look forward to working closely together. I also thank our briefers today for their powerful contributions.

The international community must do more to prevent grave violations against children. In countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children are experiencing the horrors of war and conflict. And when violations do occur, we must act robustly to ensure children get the support required. In this regard I want to make the following three points.

First, we must ensure that existing UN mechanisms are able to work effectively. The Children and Armed Conflict Working Group and the work of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict are critical pillars of the Council’s architecture for addressing these violations and we urge all member states to engage constructively and collaboratively with both.

Second, the United Kingdom is concerned by the dramatic rise of conflict-related sexual violence globally, with a 20 percent recorded increase in the Secretary-Generals 2022 CAAC Report. Last November, the United Kingdom launched the Platform for Action Promoting the Rights and Wellbeing of Children Born of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Along with key partners and Special Representative Gamba, the UK has committed to taking action under this Platform. This includes the deployment of UK expertise to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo in conducting a national review of laws, policies and practices. We believe these actions will help change the lives of tens of thousands of children.

Third, and finally, the United Kingdom is exploring all levers, including sanctions, to deter perpetrators of conflict related sexual violence. We have already announced a sanctions package which included six targets in Mali, Myanmar and South Sudan who were designated for their involvement in sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.

President, the international community must send a clear message that violations against children are intolerable. The United Kingdom is committed to playing its part in that cause.

Thank you.

February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 10-year ban for Thomas Whyte, boss of Fortress Restructuring Ltd after wrongly claiming £50,000 loan [February 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 13 February 2023.

Thomas Whyte claimed £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for dormant Scottish restructuring business, and withdrew cash before firm was wound up.

Thomas Whyte, 76, from Carluke, was the sole director and shareholder of Fortress Restructuring Ltd until it was wound up following an Insolvency Service investigation in February 2021.

In May 2020, Whyte applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for the company, stating on the application that its turnover was £250,000.

In October 2020 representatives of Fortress Restructuring Ltd advised the Insolvency Service that it had no trading address, had never traded and was not currently trading.

Following the liquidation, investigators discovered that up to the end of April 2019, accounts filed with Companies House showed that Fortress Restructuring Ltd was dormant, and the company’s only asset was £100 share capital.

On the day Whyte applied for the loan, the company in fact had just £203 in its bank account, and less than £1,000 had been received into it over the preceding year.

The Secretary of State for Business petitioned for the company to be wound up in the public interest, and the petition was presented at the Court of Session and issued publicly in the Gazette on 1 February 2021, with a copy emailed to Whyte four days later.

Thomas Whyte denied to the Insolvency Service that he had received the petition until late February, although he acknowledged receipt of the email on 5 February 2021, and between 5 and 16 February the balance on the company bank account reduced from £28,150 to a little over £1,590 with payments made to Whyte, the company accountant and others.

The Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Thomas Whyte on 7 February 2023 after he did not dispute he had applied for a Bounce Back Loan for his company to which it was not entitled, and had disposed of substantial funds when he knew, or ought to have known, the company was being wound up.

His ban begins on 28 February 2023 and lasts for 10 years. The disqualification prevents him from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. The Insolvency Service investigation did not find evidence that warranted any disqualification action against any other individuals in relation to Fortress Restructuring Ltd.

The company’s liquidator has recovered £37,500 from Whyte towards the £50,000 owed.

Rob Clarke, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Bounce Back Loans were for trading companies adversely affected by the pandemic and to be spent on legitimate business expenses.

The fact that Fortress had filed dormant accounts, and only £949 had passed through its bank account should have made it abundantly clear to Thomas Whyte that his company was not entitled to a £50,000 loan, yet he took it anyway and used the majority of that money for his own benefit.

We thank the liquidator for their efforts which have seen £37,500 recovered, and repeat that we will not hesitate to take action against directors who have abused Covid-19 financial support in this manner.

February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Independent Member Lady Arden appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life [February 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 February 2023.

The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of Lady Arden as an Independent Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Lady Arden has today been confirmed as an Independent Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). Her term will begin on 13 February 2023.

The appointment follows a recent open campaign.

The Right Hon Lady Arden of Heswall DBE

Lady Arden served as a Justice of the UK Supreme Court from October 2018 to January 2022. Prior to that she was a Judge of the High Court of Justice (1993 to 2000) and a Lady Justice of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales (2000 to 2018).

Lady Arden was also Chair of the Law Commission of England and Wales (1996-9), a member of the Steering Group for the DTI’s Company Law Review (1999-2001), Chair of the Judges’ Working Party on Constitutional Reform (2004-6), and Judge in Charge, then Head, of International Judicial Relations for England and Wales (2005 to 2018). She is a member of the UK’s National Group for nominating candidates for the International Court of Justice.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister of State, Cabinet Office welcomed Lady Arden’s appointment saying:

I would like to congratulate Lady Arden on her appointment to the Committee. She has a distinguished judicial career and her extensive experience will benefit the Committee.

February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Mary Starks appointed to lead review of The Pensions Regulator [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 February 2023.

The review will examine how TPR is performing its role and where it can improve, providing greater efficiency and value to taxpayers.

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Mary Starks to lead a review of The Pensions Regulator (TPR).

This is in line with the expectation that public bodies are reviewed each Parliament. The Minister for Pensions has asked Starks to aim to deliver the report in May 2023.

Stark’s previous experience includes serving as executive member of the Board and Director of Competition and Chief Economist at the Financial Conduct Authority. She has also served as Executive Director of Ofgem, focussed on innovation, customer behaviour and safeguarding public confidence while moving towards a net zero carbon and digitalised energy system.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott MP MBE said:

All public bodies must ensure that they are accountable and working for taxpayers.

Mary Starks has a background working in the regulatory sector and with public bodies, which will help her to deliver effective recommendations.

TPR Lead Reviewer Mary Starks said:

I am delighted to be appointed to lead this review. The Pensions Regulator plays a vital role protecting the interests of savers and ensuring employees benefit from workplace pensions.

As well as drawing on my own regulatory experience, I look forward to hearing from stakeholders from across the pensions sector and working closely with the teams at DWP and TPR.

The lead reviewer aims to identify efficiency savings of more than five percent where possible.

February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Sara Weller CBE appointed new Chair of the Money and Pensions Service [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 February 2023.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced the appointment of Sara Weller CBE as the new permanent Chair of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).

Sara has been serving as a non-executive board member since September 2022 and will formally take up the role of permanent Chair on 29 March 2023.

Her prior experience includes serving as Joint Managing Director of Sainsbury’s, Managing Director of Argos, and non-executive director and Responsible Business Committee Chair at Lloyds Banking Group.

Minister for Pensions, Laura Trott said:

It’s brilliant to see Sara appointed as the permanent Chair of MaPS Sara will bring a wealth of experience to this challenging but rewarding role, continuing the work of her predecessor in supporting people across the country with vital money guidance.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said:

I’d like to welcome Sara to her new post as Chair of MaPS, and to thank Sir Hector for his successful leadership over a number of years.

Sara’s expertise in delivering for the consumer will ensure MaPS is well geared in the years ahead – taking forward vital work enhancing the financial capability of people across the country.

Sara Weller CBE, said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as the second Chair of the MaPS, with great thanks to Sir Hector Sants for his stewardship of MaPS in its early years.

MaPS has a key role to play making impartial money guidance accessible to all, particularly so at the moment given the current economic challenges, and I look forward to working closely with our many partners, to help people right across the country feel more able to manage their money.

Outgoing Chair of MaPS, Sir Hector Sants said:

I warmly welcome the appointment of Sara as my successor. In her current role, as a non-executive, she has already made a significant contribution to the work of MaPS.

MaPS is an arm’s-length body of the DWP and provides free and impartial MaPS guidance across the UK, as well as debt advice in England. In providing these services it supports the policy delivery of DWP and HM Treasury.

The appointment was made following an open competition regulated by The Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments. Sara will serve as Chair of MaPS for five years until 28 March 2028.

February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : One-stop-shops for testing deliver over 3 million potentially lifesaving checks, tests and scans [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 February 2023.

Tens of thousands of patients across England to get quicker access to life-saving tests as 19 additional community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to open this year.
- 92 operational CDCs have carried out an additional three million, tests, checks and scans across the country as the NHS works on the biggest ever catch-up programme
- The one-stop shops are located in a range of convenient settings for patients, from shopping centres to football stadiums
Tens of thousands of patients across the country will benefit from quicker access to tests, with 19 new community diagnostic centres which will perform 1.1 million tests, checks and scans every year set to open later this year.

CDCs are central to the government’s elective recovery plan and the Prime Minister’s priority of reducing NHS waiting lists to tackle the backlogs in the NHS and social care, providing additional capacity for potentially lifesaving tests including cancer screening.

New data shows 92 operational CDCs have already significantly bolstered NHS capacity as part of the most ambitious catch-up plan in NHS history, delivering an additional three million checks since the programme started in in July 2021, helping patients to get the diagnosis they need as quickly as possible so they can access the treatment they need where and when they need it.

The one-stop shops, backed by £2.3 billion in government funding, are based in convenient locations such as shopping centres and football stadiums allowing people to access tests more quickly.

The CDCs house a range of equipment including MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound scanners and offer services including blood tests or heart rhythm and blood pressure monitoring.

The 19 approved new centres will be rolled out across the country, including Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Dorset. Once referred by a GP, pharmacist or hospital, patients can access CDCs in their local area to get any concerning symptoms checked out.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Rapid diagnosis offers reassurance to patients, reduces waiting lists, and, crucially, saves lives.

CDCs have been fundamental to this effort, delivering over 3 million extra tests which are helping to diagnose conditions from cancer to lung disease more quickly across the country.

The new centres will take us even further, utilising cutting-edge MRI, CT and X-ray machine to transform the way we deliver care closer to people’s homes helping tens of thousands of people.

NHS National Director of Elective Recovery, Sir James Mackey, said:

The NHS’s ambitious elective recovery plan, published just over a year ago, had these innovative ‘one stop shops’ at its heart. Since then they have played a key role in helping us virtually eliminate the number of people waiting more than two years for treatment and keeping the NHS on track to do the same for people waiting over 18 months by the end of April, with the centres – often based in convenient places such as in shopping centres, high streets and community hospitals – now having delivered an incredible 3 million tests and checks.

These 19 new centres will boost access for tens of thousands more patients and build on the great work of NHS staff in recovering services, helping the NHS deliver an extra 9 million tests a year by 2025 – an increase in capacity of more than a quarter on pre-pandemic levels.

Once fully operational, the new CDCs will plan to deliver over 1.1 million tests, checks and scans a year.

The facilities will take the total of approved CDCs – including those that are already operational and those still set to be rolled out – to 143. This is over 80% of the government’s ambition to roll out up to 160 centres across the country by 2025 to perform up to 9 million additional tests a year.

Since the first of these CDCs opened they have already played a valuable role in helping the NHS to reduce the backlogs, and in November 2022 CDCs delivered approximately 5% of all diagnostic activity.

Just over a year ago, the government and NHS set out the Elective Recovery Plan to recover NHS services and give patients greater control over their own health. Significant progress has since been made – with healthcare workers virtually eliminating the longest waits for treatment and cutting 18-month waits by more than 50%.

These new CDCs will build on this effort, ensuring that patients get access to the best medical advice when and where they need it while tackling healthcare disparities across the country.

Dozens of new surgical spaces are also being created to bring down waiting times. An estimated 780,000 additional surgeries and outpatient appointments will be provided at 37 new surgical hubs, 10 expanded existing hubs and 81 new theatres.

The government has also set up an Elective Recovery Taskforce to unlock spare capacity in the independent sector to tackle the backlogs. It is made up of academics and experts from the NHS and independent sector, who will help deliver on the remaining targets in the Elective Recovery Plan – such as virtually eliminating 18-month waits by April 2023 and waits of longer than a year by March 2025.

Notes to editors
- 12 of the new facilities are spoke sites, which deliver more diagnostic services in addition to a standard CDC.
- They can use commercial estate, or existing non-acute NHS estate such as community health care settings.
The full list of approved CDCs is as follows:
- North Bedfordshire CDC
- North Bedfordshire (Lloyds Court) – spoke
- North Bedfordshire CDC (Whitehouse Health Centre) – spoke
- Thurrock CDC (Braintree) – spoke
- Queen Mary’s Hospital Roehampton CDC (New Addington) – spoke
- Northamptonshire CDC
- Northamptonshire CDC (Kings Heath) – spoke
- Mansfield CDC
- Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CDC
- ICP North CDC (Metrocentre)
- North Cumbria CDC
- Warrington and Halton CDC (Shopping City) – spoke
- Clatterbridge Diagnostics CDC (Liverpool City) – spoke
- Lymington New Forest Hospital CDC (South Hants) – spoke
- Crawley Collaborative CDC (Caterham Dene) – spoke
- Bexhill Community CDC (Hastings) – spoke
- CDC Poole@Dorset Health Village Hub
- CDC@Dorset Health Village (Weymouth) – spoke
- CDC@Dorset Health Village (Boscombe AECC) – spoke
February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Energy intensive industries given £12 million boost to cut emissions and costs [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 13 February 2023.

UK government announces further funding to help businesses clean up industrial processes and improve energy efficiency.
- £12.4 million government funding is helping some of the most polluting industries find new ways to reduce their carbon emissions and energy bills
- funding has supported the deployment of a range of new technologies, from heat pumps to hydrogen ready equipment, to help businesses cut fossil fuel use and improve energy efficiency
- investment is helping to future-proof vital British industries in the transition to a lower carbon economy
Businesses across the UK will benefit from a share of more than £12 million government funding to help energy-intensive industries cut their carbon emissions and energy costs.

The funding for the 22 winning projects will help businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland clean up their industrial processes and improve their energy efficiency – benefiting industries including pharmaceuticals, steel, paper, and food and drink.

This £12.4 million funding was awarded as part of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), which has awarded grants to British projects across the country to increase the energy efficiency of their industrial processes, from car manufacturing to steel production and food processing.

The winning bids include sustainably harvesting food in Carmarthenshire, Wales, through a new air source heat pump system, capturing waste heat to dry, heat, crush and grind materials for roadmaking in South Yorkshire and using revolutionary high temperature heat pumps to reduce the energy needed to heat and cool cheese, reducing emissions in dairy farms across the Midlands.

It is estimated that industry is currently responsible for producing 16% of the UK’s emissions and will need to cut emissions by two thirds by 2035 in order for the UK to achieve its net zero target.

Today’s funding will play a crucial role in helping to clean up big-emitting industries as part of the UK’s green industrial revolution – decarbonising their industrial processes and reducing their reliance on expensive fossil fuels, such as gas. This means businesses will not only reduce their environmental impact, but also save on their energy bills and safeguard thousands of British jobs.

Graham Stuart, Minister at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said:

Boosting the energy efficiency of industrial processes is a critical step not only in our transition to a lower-carbon economy, but also by helping businesses to cut their energy costs and protect valuable British jobs.

That’s why the government has stepped in once again to support energy intensive industries, with a fresh funding round to unleash the next generation of green innovators who are re-shaping the way technology can reduce carbon emissions.

So far, £34.8 million of funding has been awarded through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which was first launched in June 2020.

Today’s winners

Greener food

One of the biggest food companies in Europe, Dunbia, based in Carmarthenshire, Wales, has been awarded funds to upgrade its heating system from a gas oil fired steam boiler to an air source heat pump that is powered by renewably sourced electricity. This allows the company to harvest edible products and process the food with hot water washing, through a sustainable and energy efficient thermal supply system, reducing carbon emissions each year.

Sustainable roads

Harsco Environmental’s SteelPhalt plant, based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, has been developing and manufacturing high performance tarmac products for the UK roadmaking industry since the 1960s. This energy intensive process of drying, heating, crushing, grinding, conveying currently utilises large volumes of natural gas, gas oil and electricity from the grid, but thanks to government funding, the company is investigating ways to capture the waste heat in the exhaust gases and transform it into electrical power, reducing the fuel demand of the road burners and supporting manufacturing in the local area.

Lighter, safer vehicles

Autotech Engineering / Gestamp is a multinational based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, specialising in the design, development and manufacture of metals for lighter and safer vehicles. Whereby high-tonnage presses of flat metal sheets typically loses lots of energy through heat and noise, IETF has helped to fund the SERPENT project which is actively capturing and reusing this lost energy. With a reduction of almost 10% already seen in peak power usage during tool changeover, this funding is helping to lower energy consumption and the environmental impact of critical car manufacturing.

Say cheese

The Long Clawson Dairy has been producing cheese for over a century, running over 31 farms in the Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire areas. The production of cheese is an energy intensive process involving both heating and cooling activities. Through IETF funding, the company has created a new thermal storage system, using revolutionary high temperature heat pumps to reduce overall energy by 27% and saving 34% carbon emissions, with the ambition of moving to a purely electrically powered in the long term.

Today’s announcement builds on the wide-ranging support that is available to energy-intensive industries. The UK government recognises that businesses are feeling the impact of high global energy prices, including steel producers, which is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme was launched to bring down costs. This is in addition to more than £800 million of support the government has provided since 2013 to help industrial sectors with energy costs, with many businesses able to bid into government competitive funds worth more than £1.5 billion to support them going green, cutting emissions and becoming more energy efficient.

Niall Browne, CEO, Dunbia (UK), said:

Dunbia (UK), through its parent company Dawn Meats, was the first European beef and lamb processor to make a commitment to the Science Based Targets Initiative. We have been working for more than 10 years to reduce emissions internally and more widely across our supply chain and recognise the urgency to adopt even more aggressive measures to reduce emissions.

We welcome this opportunity to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to further improve our energy efficiency and cut our carbon emissions.

A Harsco Metalscompany spokesperson said:

Harsco has welcomed the IETF grant offer from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to continue its journey to help continue our commitment to innovation and sustainability. With this IETF feasibility funding grant, we have been able to investigate how we can recover heat from our asphalt plant to optimise our use of energy and reduce our carbon footprint.

Phil Potter, the SERPENT Project Manager, said:

The SERPENT feasibility study was a high-risk technology project not aligned with Gestamp’s core business activities and would not be completed without IETF support and funding. We have been successful in demonstrating feasibility and initial results look extremely promising with a reduction of almost 10% seen in peak power usage during tool changeover.

We have yet to process that data and analyse the economic viability but we have already demonstrated that this approach improves manufacturing energy efficiency to reduce waste and carbon footprint and support our drive to Net Zero with no impact on press performance.

Iain Grant, Operations Director, Long Clawson Dairy, said:

The production of our Stilton cheese is an energy intensive process involving both heating and cooling activities. With the investment in this project, it has enabled the Dairy to take a more cost-effective approach to energy consumption, alongside a clear carbon emission reduction. This is a substantial investment for a business of our size and would not have been possible without the support of the IETF grant funding.
February 13, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on the election of the Supreme Court of Justice in Honduras [February 2023]

The statement issued by the Foreign Office on 11 February 2023.

Statement of Embassies and international organizations accredited to Honduras regarding the election process of the Supreme Court of Justice.

The Embassies of Germany, Canada, Spain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Romania, as well as the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, the United Nations system, and the European Union in Honduras reiterate the need to an election process for the Supreme Court of Justice that is democratic, transparent and respectful of the rule of law.

We call on all political parties to dialogue, avoid polarizing language and reach an agreement within the constitutional framework. We appeal to all actors to refrain from any destabilizing action or expression against the Constitution.

February 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Three arrested during violent disorder in Prescot, Knowsley [February 2023]

The press release issued by Merseyside Police on 10 February 2023.

We can confirm that three people have been arrested following incidents of disorder in Prescot this evening, Friday 10 February.

At around 6.30pm, officers were facilitating an initially peaceful protest and counter protest on Ribblers Lane.

During the evening, missiles have been thrown towards officers and damage caused to a police vehicle. No injuries have been reported at this time.

A total of three people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and taken to police stations to be questioned.

Additional officers are in the area to deal with these incidents and ensure the safety of those in the area. We are also taking measures to record the actions of those present to gather further evidence.

Road closures remain in place so continue to avoid the area where possible.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said: “We will always respect the right to protest when these are peaceful, but the scenes tonight were completely unacceptable, putting those present, our officers and the wider community in danger. Thankfully we have not had any serious injuries reported up to this point, but for officers and police vehicles to be damaged in the course of their duty protecting the public is disgraceful.

“We have arrested some of those suspects and will continue without hesitation to review all and any evidence which comes in, through CCTV, images or other information you may have.

“I would also like to strongly remind not to post comments, footage or information on our channels but instead to pass it directly to officers via our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 1149. We will act swiftly upon all information given to identify any further offences and put those involved before the courts.”

You can also pass information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

February 11, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Pioneering nature projects launched to test carbon capture methods in fight against climate change [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 11 February 2023.

Six projects will receive funding to research how nature-rich woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and urban habitats take up carbon.

Six pioneering nature projects across England receive major funding award to trial the most effective ways to capture carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change, Natural England has announced today (11 February).

Operating at a landscape scale of over 500 hectares each, the six projects will restore landscapes across England – from Plymouth to Northumberland – and assess how carbon is captured and stored across different habitats such as grasslands, forests, wetlands and hedgerows.

The £4.3 million of funding will support:
- Wild Exmoor Carbon Sequestration Project: The National Trust has been awarded almost £1 million to deliver targeted nature-based solutions and carbon capture across its 670-hectare Watersmeet estate. The charity will create a wetter and wilder landscape by restoring and protecting coastal woodland, heathland habitats, species rich grassland and wood pasture.
- Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change (WRCC): Almost £600,000 has been awarded to the project managed by Groundwork NE & Cumbria which will assess how nature-based solutions can thrive in a farmed landscape. The project will restore mixed habitats – grasslands, peaty pockets and woodlands – and demonstrate how landowners can work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote carbon sequestration. Working across 10 sites, the work will restore over 144 hectares and will contribute to the wider restoration of the River Wansbeck catchment in Northumberland.
- Plymouth’s Natural Grid Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale project: Approximately £1 million will support Plymouth City Council, working in collaboration with the National Trust, to restore natural habitats and create local solutions to climate change in the urban environment through wood pasture, species rich grassland and woodland creation, salt marsh restoration and floodplain mosaic habitat creation.
- Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery Project, part of the Derwent Connections Programme: Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded £645,000 for its Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery partnership-led pilot project. This project aims to create connected woody habitats between the Northern and National Forests to allow movement of species in response to climate change. It will also develop an economically viable programme to support landowners to create and expand dynamic and resilient ecosystems.
- The Oxfordshire–Buckinghamshire Freshwater Network: This programme, run by the Freshwater Habitats Trust, has been awarded over £780,000 to focus on the role played by smaller, peat-dominated wetlands, floodplains, wet grasslands and waters in sequestering carbon in the landscape. These habitats are of exceptional importance for freshwater biodiversity, which is in rapid decline. The project will help to better understand the role that these habitats can play in carbon sequestration. It will also help Freshwater Habitats Trust build the Freshwater Network – a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner and connected freshwaters.
- Severn Solutions for Nature’s Recovery (SSNR): Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been awarded over £417,000 to work with Hasfield Court Estate to restore a 500-hectare estate in the Severn Vale. The partnership’s vision is to demonstrate and provide evidence of how the restoration of native habitats can provide nature-based solutions that help adapt to climate change and tackle the ecological emergency. Following a baseline survey of the estate, options have been tailored to maximise landscape connectivity between existing priority habitats, and will involve the creation of wood pasture, traditional orchards and species rich grassland. These actions will create habitats for important pollinator species, nesting opportunities for farmland birds and foraging networks for protected bat species.
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England said:

Many of the solutions to climate change are all around us in the natural world. From trees, hedges and grasslands that absorb carbon from the air to the peat-rich soils that hold it in the ground, there are huge opportunities to catch carbon while achieving other benefits at the same time, including increasing our ability to adapt to climate change impacts. The simple fact is that when it comes to our net zero ambitions Nature is our biggest ally and more we can do to restore it the better.

Getting the scale of benefits we need requires working together collaboratively across entire landscapes. This is only going to be possible if we forge broad partnerships and this is increasingly the case as different sectors see that they are all part of the solution to the climate and Nature challenges that the world and this country are setting out to meet”.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

In the face of increasing climate extremes, using nature-based solutions that restore and work with natural processes is a powerful tool that can help protect us from the devastating impact of drought, floods and wildfires.

The collective ambition to restore nature at a landscape scale, alongside the right financial incentives, will create a more resilient approach which is needed to address the urgent challenges of nature loss and climate change”.

Richard Stanford, Chief Executive at the Forestry Commission, said:

Resilient forests, woods and trees are vital for capturing carbon in the fight against climate change and improving biodiversity to aid nature recovery.

We are working with project partners on the creation and management of woodlands across these landscapes to help treble tree planting to 7,500 hectares per year by the end of this parliament with a goal of reaching 16.5% tree cover by 2050.

Through this programme we will gain new insights into the factors that affect how trees capture carbon, over the short and long term, in a variety of different habitats and sites. This will build on the excellent work by Forest Research and other organisations on the subject”.

Ed Ikin, Director of Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden said:

We at Kew are delighted to be part of this transformative landscape research investment.

We hope our innovative research at Wakehurst will provide vital and valuable data for both the government and our new partner sites, offering essential scientific evidence for the ability of biodiverse landscapes to sequester carbon above and belowground to benefit people and the economy.

Nature-based solutions – which tackle societal challenges in ways that benefit both people and nature – can remove CO2 from the atmosphere and halt emissions from degraded natural sites and agricultural land. Testing the effectiveness of different landscapes in acting as carbon sinks will be crucial in meeting the UK’s climate goals.

Analysis and information from the pilot sites will be used to better inform habitat creation and contribute to tackling climate change.  Each project will also look how best to blend public and private sources of funding to support further delivery of their landscape-scale plans for improving the natural environment.

Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale is a partnership led by Natural England with the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. It demonstrates the power of collaborative working to understand the value of nature-based solutions in tackling climate change and will deliver against the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.

The organisations will work alongside project partners to expand scientific evidence on greenhouse gas emissions, create sustainable funding opportunities for landscape scale projects, and provide additional data to inform the development of robust carbon standards, such as the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code.

The Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change Programme is a £12.5 million programme first established in 2021 which is funded by the Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund, and cosponsored by Defra and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The fund seeks to increase cross-government collaboration and address society’s most challenging problems including biodiversity loss, climate change and land use change.

In addition to establishing the partner sites, the funding is enabling Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Kew to undertake further scientific research into the value of nature-based solutions and green finance models.

Researchers at Kew’s wild botanic garden, Wakehurst will research the value of broadleaf, coppiced and coniferous woodlands in building resilience to climate change. Using drones, they will measure plant biomass alongside greenhouse gas flux, and undertake soil fungal research to consider how different biodiverse habitats sequester carbon.

Natural England scientists are also assessing carbon and biodiversity both on the new habitats and assessing the carbon and biodiversity benefits of earlier habitat creation and restoration projects.

The Programme will run until March 2024.
February 11, 2023