Owen Paterson speech to Policy Exchange 20/11/13

8/13/2019 Owen Paterson speech to Policy Exchange 20/11/13

1/45

Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP speech to Policy Exchange20 November 2013

Growing the economy, improving the environment.Can we have it all?

1 !ntro"#ction

Thank you for inviting me to speak today. Its a great

pleasure to be here at Policy Exchange, a think tank that

does so much to shape and inform debate across a wide

range of issues. ot least through their latest report Park

!and.

"ince becoming #efra "ecretary last year I have set out

my four key priorities for the #epartment. These are to

grow the rural economy, improve the environment, and

safeguard both plant and animal health.

$


2/45

%y desire to improve, rather than &ust protect, the

environment, while at the same time growing the

economy stems from Edmund 'urkes description of us

as the (temporary possessors and life)renters* of the

earth who must live in a way which doesnt (leave to

those who come after+ a ruin instead of a habitation.*

I have lived in the countryside all my life. I have always

been immersed in its activities. I have seen for myself

the impact each and every one of us has on the

environment.

Thats why I believe that we need to leave our natural

environment in a better condition than we inherited it.


3/45

-ur $$ atural Environment /hite Paper 0 the first of

its kind for twenty years 0 set the goal of (being the first

generation to leave the natural environment of England

in a better state than it inherited.* That is a big ambition,

to which I am strongly committed.

This is not only because its the right thing to do but

because its the only way in which we will secure growth

that is both environmentally and economically

sustainable.

1


4/45

2 $he scale o% the problem

There is no doubt that our natural environment is under

pressure. In the 23 populations of farmland birds have

declined by 4 per cent and woodland birds by $5 per

cent since the $65s. The "tate of ature report

produced by a wide range of environmental

organisations earlier this year set out the scale of the

task we face.

That said, its not all doom and gloom. /hile many

species have declined, others have increased

significantly in range or abundance over the last two to

three decades. These include common and widespread

species, as well as some formerly declining species that

are conservation priorities, such as the red kite, otter or

large blue butterfly.

7


5/45

The causes of this overall decline are broadly

understood, with loss of habitat and increasingly intense

human use of the countryside, not least in the $68s,

95s and 9:s when agriculture went through a rapid

period of modernisation. This is a problem that has

faced successive generations and governments. It is

not a matter of blaming this government or that

organisation. This is a complex and long)term issue that

we must, as a society, work together to solve. This is

especially the case as we try to deliver more, with fewer

resources and less taxpayers money.

4


6/45

;esterdays publication of the ature


7/45


8/45

?irst, the environment and the economy are inextricably

linked.

"econd, the natural environment in 'ritain is

overwhelmingly managed by man, rather than being

abandoned in a homage to @ousseau.

And finally, improving the environment is a national

challenge reBuiring a concerted, partnership approach.

Its not something that taxpayers money or government

alone can fix. /e must harness the rich seam of

practical environmentalism that runs through our

country.

3 &rowing the economy' improving the environment

:


9/45

2p until recently the choice has often been portrayed as

one of growing the economy or protecting the

environment. Thats not how I see it. I am absolutely

convinced that we can only improve the environment if

we have a growing, prosperous economy. %rs Thatcher

said, in a speech to the @oyal "ociety in $66, that (we

must enable all our economies to grow and develop

because without growth you cannot generate the wealth

reBuired to pay for the protection of the environment.*

I will never forget travelling to Albania and seeing brooks

running black with oil as a result of the disastrous rule of

Enver =oxha. Economic failure led to environmental

failure.

6


10/45

In contrast, in


11/45

/e need to be able to measure our natural capital and

build it into our economic decision)making. Thats why

we set up the atural


12/45

As a result, we have moved from several of our ma&or

rivers being classified in the not too recent past as

sterile or biologically dead to our waterways now being

cleaner than they have been for decades. /e now have

otters in every region of the 23. "almon and trout are

returning to rivers and streams where they have not

been seen for generations.

Earlier this year I visited orthumbrian /aters waste

treatment site in =owdon on Tyneside. Their investment

in anaerobicdigestion is enabling them to process half a

million tonnes of sewage, which was previously dumped

untreated in the orth "ea every day. This generates

enough electricity to power the eBuivalent of :,

homes and produce a dry fertiliser for local farmers.

$


13/45

This investment not only makes economic sense for the

company but it is also helping clean up the Tyne, once

one of our most industrialised and polluted rivers. 2pon

my arrival at the site, one of the staff showed me a

picture of a large salmon, which he had caught only

yards from where I stood, something that would not

have been possible until recently.

!ooking to the future, theres still more to do. The /ater

'ill will reform the water market still further by removing

barriers to competition. That will lead to a more efficient

and resilient water industry with lower environmental

impacts. Its in the interests of the water companies

themselves to continue to invest in reducing leakage,

pollution and unsustainable abstraction. It is not &ust

good for the environmentD it is good for business.

$1


14/45

$he role o% technology

The privatisation of the water industry shows us that we

should not be afraid of economic or technological

innovation. In fact, we should embrace it.

Indur oklany has calculated that if we tried to support

todays population using the production methods of the

$64s, instead of farming 1: per cent of all land, we

would need to use : per cent. It has also been

estimated that the production of a given Buantity of a

crop now reBuires 84 per cent less land than it did in

$68$.


15/45

The adoption of technology will be key to us meeting the

challenge of (sustainable intensification* as set out by

the overnments former


16/45

$he %orestry sector

The forestry sector is leading the way in demonstrating

how a healthy environment and economic growth can go

hand)in)hand. /ith around two thirds of the 23s

woodland resource in private hands, the importance of

working with private individuals to make progress in

improving biodiversity cannot be overstated.

The rown in 'ritain initiative, led by the forestry

industry itself, is working to increase demand for 'ritish

wood products, thereby increasing investment in the

planting and management of woodland. The initiative

seeks to provide an (economic pull* to galvanise

landowners to see the many benefits, both economic

and environmental, of well managed woodland.

$8


17/45

Thanks to rown in 'ritain, =eals is stocking a new

range of 'ritish grown and manufactured ash furniture.

Fust this relatively small step is supporting 8 &obs, of

which are furniture)making apprentices. Its improving

the environment and helping business.

(io"iversity o%%setting

-ne policy which I believe has huge potential for

improving the environment, and placing our biodiversity

on a sustainable footing for the future, is that of

biodiversity offsetting.

-ffsetting is a measurable way of ensuring that we

make good the residual damage to nature caused by

development which cannot be avoided or mitigated.

$5


18/45

This guarantees that there is no net loss to biodiversity

from development and can often lead to net gain.

It will not change existing safeguards in the planning

system but it makes it Buicker and simpler to agree a

developments impacts to ensure losses are properly

compensated for. -ffsetting could help create a ready

market for farmers, landowners and environmental

organisations to supply compensation for residual

damage to nature, providing long)term opportunities for

investing in our habitats and biodiversity.

Its incredibly apt that Im speaking here at Policy

Exchange, the think tank that through its urturing

ature report has put offsetting on the political agenda

and highlighted the real contribution it could make to our

natural environment.

$:


19/45

There are already over other countries using

offsetting and the Ecosystems %arket Task ?orce,

chaired by Ian


20/45

The @ural #evelopment Programme, which invests C7

million a year in agri)environment schemes, is already

rewarding farmers for providing and improving habitats

and biodiversity. I see offsetting as a potentially

important tool to sit alongside this.

In a small and heavily)populated country such as ours,

there will always be developments or infrastructure

pro&ects that reBuire a trade)off between economic and

social benefits, and the natural environment. It could be

a new housing development that would cover some

woodland, or a new road crossing a wetland area.


21/45

The first Buestion should always be 0 can the

environmental damage be avoided or mitigated. If it

cant then we would look to offsetting to add an eBual or

greater amount of environmental value to another area.

'ut this isnt something we will rush into without careful

consideration. The consultation on our green paper has

&ust closed. Ive gathered views from all sides of the

debate, from developers, environmental organisations

and the public. This was a genuinely open consultation. I

am determined to find a solution that works for both the

economy and the environment. I am determined to make

sure the planning system allows sensible decisions on

development by ensuring that environmental value is

considered at the very start.

$


22/45

The ideal outcome is a system that correctly values

nature. /e know it can work 0 in Australia offsetting has

reduced the number of applications to develop on native

grassland by : per cent. "uch a system can provide

certainty for both developers and the environment.

) Managing the co#ntrysi"e

%oving to the second core principle of our approach, I

believe that to build on the successes weve seen in

boosting the populations of species such as the red kite

and the otter, we must recognise that the countryside we

see today, and the landscapes that are part of it, have

been shaped by man over thousands of years.


23/45

In this country there is very little of what can be termed

genuine wilderness. "ome of our most iconic

landscapes 0 the landscapes which have inspired artists

and poets across the centuries 0 are managed

landscapes. The !ake #istrict would not look the way it

does today without the presence of sheep and the

careful management of hill farmers. The #owns would

soon return to elders and bracken if it were not for the

presence of livestock and active farming.

These landscapes not only support our plants and

wildlife. They contribute to our health and wellbeing and

attract large numbers of tourists. In rural England, the

C11 billion a year tourism industry accounts for $7 per

cent of employment and $ per cent of businesses.

1


24/45

H#man intervention

-ur countryside is something which needs constant

management and intervention. The influence of man

can be seen in both our flora and fauna. The names of

the following species 0 the barn owl, harvest mouse,

meadow pipit, corn bunting and hedge sparrow 0

demonstrate the importance of the farmed landscape to

our wildlife.

The American author and conservationist, Aldo !eopold,

recognised this when he said> (The hope for the future

lies not in curbing the influence of human occupancy 0 it

is already too late for that 0 but in creating a better

understanding of the extent of that influence and a new

ethic for its governance.*

7


25/45

The backdrop of a growing population, increased

pressure for land for development and changing farming

practices means that this approach is more necessary

than ever.

It is after all human activity that has, across the

centuries, removed many of the countrysides natural

predators and introduced invasive non)native species. It

would therefore be a dereliction of duty for us to shy

away from continuing to manage and intervene in our

natural environment.

4


26/45

The work of organisations such as the ame and

/ildlife


27/45

"ongbird numbers doubled in response to game

management but showed a gradual decline once

feeding and predator control was stopped.

Individuals such as Philip %erricks are also

demonstrating the importance of addressing all

components of conservation management. At his

Elmley ational ature @eserve on the Isle of "heppey,

an hour from !ondon and which I had the privilege of

visiting on "unday, predator control is enabling him to

achieve lapwing fledging rates that both protect and

increase the population.

To maintain a stable population, lapwings need to fledge

a minimum of approximately .5 chicks per adult pair per

year. In $, %erricks achieved $.1 fledged chicks per

adult pair, whereas the neighbouring nature reserve,

where species management is not undertaken, achieved

5


28/45

a fledging rate of less than $ per cent of %errickss

rate.

Tomorrow, I will be visiting !ark @ise ?arm in


29/45

a total of 74 miles of water courses and lakes. As a

result of this intervention, $81 mink have been trapped,

with water voles beginning to make a comeback and the

number of kingfishers and moorhens on the increase.

/ildlife control is also playing a key role in the battle to

save the red sBuirrel, a species which has been native

to 'ritain for more than $, years but has been in

decline ever since the more dominant grey sBuirrel was

introduced from orth America at the end of the $6 th

century. reys also cause significant damage to our

woodlands.

The @ed "Buirrel "urvival Trust and others have long

been working, in partnership with local organisations

and volunteers, to protect and stabilise our existing red

sBuirrel populations. rey sBuirrel control is central to

their efforts and is starting to yield results. In the orth

6


30/45

East, monitoring shows that the red sBuirrel managed to

expand its range by 5 per cent between $ and $1,

with the greys presence in these areas shrinking by as

much as $: per cent.

/ith 5 per cent of all agricultural land in this country

under an agri)environment scheme, there are real

opportunities for us to begin to redress the current

imbalance that exists in our countryside. An imbalance

which, since $65, has seen 'ritains magpie and crow

populations increase by 6 and :$ per cent respectively.

/e must manage both landscapes and species.

* living' wor+ing co#ntrysi"e

It is against this background, that we must acknowledge

that the beautiful landscapes and diverse ecosystems

the countryside supports, will soon fall into disrepair

1


31/45

without the presence of thriving communities and

businesses.

?armers alone are responsible for managing 54 per cent

of the 23s surface area. They are some of our greatest

environmentalists from whom we can learn a great deal

and with whom we must work in partnership.

Thats why its so important that the 'ritish countryside

is a living, working one and why I want to make sure that

people in rural areas have access to the same services

and facilities as people living in urban ones.

I believe that the roll)out of superfast broadband has the

potential to transform rural areas, bridging the age)old

gap between rural and urban. It could be bigger than the

1$


32/45

advent of the canals, railways and telephone combined.

It will allow businesses to grow and expand.

oogle estimate that small online businesses can grow

up to : times faster than their offline eBuivalents. Ive

seen brilliant examples, not least the architects

business located in a converted barn at the top of a


33/45

/e need to recognise the realities of rural life and the

constant balancing act thats necessary between

different activities. I believe that we can have long term

growth and improve our environment. Thats my vision.

To achieve this we all need to work togetherD people,

environmental groups, businesses and government. 'ut

what we cant do is look to government to have all the

answers and turn things around overnight. Thats not

how nature works. Thats not how the economy works.

/atercourses, for example, are an important part of the

rural landscape, from both an environmental and flood

prevention perspective. #espite this, the last

government, in its blind adherence to @ousseauism,

failed to maintain watercourses or enable land

managers to do so. Thats why were working to remove

the unnecessary burdens that discourage farmers and

11


34/45

landowners from undertaking their own watercourse

maintenance.

!ast month we launched seven @iver %aintenance

Pilots across the country to do &ust this. These pilots are

part of the wider


35/45


36/45

environment, leaving it in a better condition than we

inherited it.

/hen Ash #ieback was first discovered, the contribution

of the public was invaluable to helping us identify

diseased trees and monitor the spread of the disease.

There was an innovative use of technology to make this

possible 0 the


37/45

Trust and ational Trust will use their experience to

recruit and train a network of volunteers.

The volunteers will support scientists by acting as a first

line of response to the reports of tree pest and disease

sent in by the public. They will screen and filter reported

incidents, enabling scientists to focus on those reports of

greatest significance.

This is a brilliant example of how we can harness the

enthusiasm of the public to benefit the natural

environment and mobilise people to engage with an

area of policy which would normally be considered the

preserve of specialists.

15


38/45

There are also millions of people across the country who

take part in activities such as shooting or angling and

who as part of their pastime make a significant

contribution to the natural environment. The 8

PA


39/45

* partnership approach

%any farmers and landowners already see themselves

as stewards of the land they own or farm. They are also

already working on a landscape or catchment area

scale. In his $ review of Englands /ildlife "ites and

Ecological etwork, "ir Fohn !awton identified this as of

huge importance to the delivery of a more coherent and

resilient wildlife network.

If we are to succeed in delivering meaningful

environmental benefits, partnership between

government, local authorities, landowners and

communities will be key. This is especially important16


40/45

when so much of the nations property, be it farmland or

back gardens, is in private hands and often beyond the

reach of /hitehall intervention. It is this sort of

approach that I want to seek and promote.

Thats why we are building local partnerships in a variety

of areas 0 !ocal ature Partnerships, ature

Improvement Areas and the


41/45

/eve invested C5.4 million over three years to establish

$ Areas. ?or every pound invested, an additional C4.4

has been leveraged. This is a great example of

government and private funding working together.

A few weeks ago I went to see this approach in action in

the ene Halley. Its an area that had one of the highest

areas of species extinctions and the lowest amount of

land being protected. The ature Improvement Area is

turning this around. Theyve worked to build strong ties

with the !ocal ature Partnership and the !ocal

Enterprise Partnership. In the first year theyve secured

an additional C$ million of investment. An impressive

1,1 days of volunteer time have been mobilised. $,4

hectares of farmland have been added to =igher !evel

"tewardship schemes. ?or these partnerships to work

7$


42/45

they must en&oy the full co)operation of farmers and

landowners.

The


43/45

flexibility, has proved catastrophic for the sustainability

of our seas.

Im pleased that after three tough years of negotiation

and as part of the historic deal on the


44/45

This speech asked a Buestion 0 can we have it all


45/45

I believe that by working with the grain of the

countryside and harnessing the enthusiasm that millions

of people have for nature, be it on their farms or in their

back gardens, we can make real progress in boosting

our wildlife and biodiversity.

Haluing natural capital, as the basis of sustainable

economic and environmental growth, is central to this

overnments vision. I look forward to working with you

on making that vision a reality.

Documents

Owen Paterson speech to Policy Exchange 20/11/13