Julian hosts Yorkshire environment groups in Parliament to meet Minister
May 8, 2019
Last week Julian hosted the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and peatland organisations from Yorkshire and across the UK in Parliament to meet with Environment Minister Therese Coffey.
The event was designed to highlight the vital role of upland management in providing significant public benefits, and convey to the government the importance of ensuring this living part of our natural heritage can be maintained and improved.
Much of North Yorkshire is covered by upland areas, most significantly the Dales and North York Moors. These unique landscapes are a vital leisure resource for people from across the region, and are vital for the local tourist trade and economy. Upland peat makes a huge contribution to mitigating climate change through absorbing emissions, and each year UK peatlands soak up more carbon than all of the world’s oceans combined.
Air and water quality also depend on the health of the uplands, where 70% of drinking water comes from. Flood protection all the way down a river catchment can also be improved through measures to regulate the flow of water downstream, such as tree planting.
After the meeting Julian said “I was glad to welcome peatland and environment groups from Yorkshire and further afield to Parliament to impress upon Minister Dr Coffey the need to keep up efforts to conserve upland landscapes.
My family, like other York residents is very lucky to live in such beautiful part of the world, which is in large part because of the careful upkeep of upland areas, which must be sustained.
Uplands provide huge public benefits, and given current debates about addressing climate change if it vital to recognise the role peatlands are already playing in absorbing carbon emissions. Managing our peatlands is vital for preserving North Yorkshire’s natural heritage for us all to enjoy, and can provide new solutions to issues like flood risk and air quality that affect our city.”
