Happy World Wetlands Day!
I am a huge champion of wetlands and the many positive benefits they have on both the environment and our wellbeing.
I was pleased to have secured a debate in Parliament this week, in line with World Wetlands Day, on ‘Protecting and Restoring Wetlands’.
I had 4 key asks:
The Government to commit to a national strategy for UK wetlands.
The Government to create a nutrient offsetting code to rebuild investor confidence in that market, and to provide guidance and training for national flood management to ensure that land managers, councils and practitioners can take advantage of those options.
The Government to create a saltmarsh restoration grant scheme, as has been done for peatland, and to scale up saltmarsh creation through the nature for climate fund.
The Government to create a requirement for new developments to include sustainable urban drainage systems.
Wetlands have nature-boosting, flood-busting, carbon-sinking, mood-lifting, water-cleaning superpowers and so it is my view, that we really need to be making more of them!
For more, please listen to my full speech.
