The new strategy for “Investing in Nature for the North – A Strategic Plan for a Nature Positive Regional Economy”, was launched on Tuesday February 25th at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield.
The event was attended by 200 leaders from across the North, representing environmental organisations, business, finance, health, culture, placemaking, academia, sport and heritage and pupils from King Edward VII School.
The event was about how Northern nature investment and delivery needs can take an inclusive approach that reflects the diversity of communities and thought across the North, recognising that nature is an ingredient in social equity. This is because if we invest in bringing nature into our towns and cities, we will protect people’s health, drive regeneration, support our heritage and culture sectors and build better lives for communities across the North.
It was therefore about A Call to Action, to take an inclusive approach to nature investment and nature recovery that reflects the diversity of communities and thought across the North.
It was about painting a picture of what Nature Positive Northern Communities at best would look and feel like in our places and what the benefits would be?
Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire – who delivered the opening speech said, let’s act now for a brighter, greener future in the North.
There were also speeches from, Tony Juniper, Chair, Natural England, Alan Lovell, Chair, Environment Agency and Peter Young, Chair, The Broadway Initiative.
SEM’s CEO, Maxwell Ayamba BEM, was on the 2nd panel that discussed “Investing in Nature as a Critical Asset for Northern Communities”. In his contribution, Maxwell noted that, in order to ensure an inclusive approach in nature delivery that benefits everyone will require designing transformative and integrated initiatives/policies that address the unique challenges faced by people living on the margins of society.
He said this would require designing traumatic-informed and collaborative approaches that are people-centred, centring on the collective lived experiences of marginalised communities.
The CEO noted that research evidences how significant disparities exist in representation of people from minoritised background within the environment/heritage sectors which remains predominantly a white space and of privilege.
Maxwell said although most environmental organisations have implemented EDI policies, however, not much has changed thus sending a signal that the environment/heritage sectors are not places for minoritised individuals.
He pointed out that the RACE Report 2024 has evidenced how the environment sector remains the least diverse only after the farming/agricultural sectors unlike the NHS.
Maxwell said that is was important to welcome and share new knowledge and to avoid seeing people from diverse communities as lacking the requisite knowledge and expertise to contribute to how green and blue spaces are managed and conserved for the benefit of everyone and the environment.
You can download and read a copy of the plan .