A Natural Environment debate, convened by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and Chaired by SWM Chair Peter Braithwaite, was held at Birmingham City University with the Mayoral candidates for the West Midlands Combined Authority on Friday 7 April. It was an interesting event generating much discussion and a commitment from all mayoral candidates to work to develop a strong, long term, plan to protect and restore the natural environment integrated across all areas of policy. A report from the event along with the answers received from candidates to the full list of questions written by the audience is now available on the newly created Greener West Midlands website. This website will be updated as more information becomes available along with video footage of the event. The mayoral election takes place on 4 May and it is your chance to vote for who you think will best protect the region’s natural environment and wider sustainability issues. You can also write to your MP candidates in the general election asking for the following key commitments:
- Being the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than it inherited, through effective transfer of existing EU environment laws and an ambitious Environment Act for England which aims not just to maintain but restore our natural commonwealth.
- A long term plan for the environment as recommended by the natural capital committee and sustainable new policies for the farmed environment, in which taxpayer’s money is invested in ways that deliver wide benefits, including abundant nature, healthy soils, clean water, climate change mitigation and beautiful landscapes.
- A full, ecologically-coherent network of marine protected areas in UK seas.
