The Government’s policy to sustain and enhance trees, forests and woodland starts from a recognition that England’s trees, woods and forests are an important and much-loved natural asset, producing fuel and wood, supporting plant and animal life, helping reduce climate change and providing leisure, recreation and natural beauty. However climate change, population growth, the increasing pressures on the land, diseases and pests are putting trees and forests at risk.

The policy statement sets out four key areas for action:

• Publicly owned forests are a national asset, valued by the people who use them and an important part of the timber industry. To make sure that they are properly managed and protected a new independent public body will hold the Public Forest Estate in trust.
• To protect trees and forests, new measures will help ensure their health and manage the risk posed to them from disease, including a new independent Tree and Plant Health Biosecurity Expert Taskforce to review the strategic approach to tree and plant health, and implementation of the chalara management plan to slow the spread of the disease.
• The woodland economy will be invigorated by bringing neglected woodlands back into management and promoting new planting, helping create jobs and growth.
• Wildlife and the natural environment will be protected through work to restore and improve native and ancient woodlands.

Ensuring tree health

Tree health is a top priority for Defra, with the independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce convened by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Ian Boyd, bringing together the best scientific evidence which will help to address diseases such as ash dieback.

The taskforce published its final report in May at the Chelsea Flower Show, making recommendations to:

• Develop a UK Plant Health Risk Register
• Appoint a Chief Plant Health Officer to look after the Plant Health Risk Register
• Develop and implement procedures to predict, monitor, and control the spread of pests and diseases
• Review, simplify, and strengthen governance and legislation
• Improve the use of intelligence from the EU and other regions, and work to improve the EU regulations concerned with tree health and plant biosecurity
• Strengthen biosecurity to reduce risks at the border and within the UK
• Develop a modern, user-friendly system to provide quick and intelligent access to data about tree health and plant biosecurity
• Address key skills shortages

Work is already under way on the recommendations around developing a plant health risk register and implementing procedures to predict, monitor, and control pests and diseases. Defra will be inviting a wide group of organisations with an interest in our trees and forests to a summit in July in order to work together on how best to maximise the opportunities to ensure protection of our woodlands.

Managing ash dieback

Ash tree dieback is caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus, which has already affected a high proportion of ash trees in Northern Europe. It was discovered for the first time in Great Britain in a nursery in Buckinghamshire in February 2012. In October 2012, it was also found in the wider environment in woodland in Norfolk.

Defra published its Chalara management plan in March, an update to the interim plan published in December 2012. Following scientific advice is that the spread of Chalara can be slowed but not stopped, the plan sets out action around four key objectives:

• Reducing the rate of spread of the disease
• Developing resistance to the disease in the native ash tree population
• Encouraging landowner, citizen and industry engagement in surveillance, monitoring and action in tackling the problem
• Building economic and environmental resilience in woodlands and in associated industries

In particular, a £1.5 million project to find Chalara-resistant ash trees will see a quarter of a million young ash trees planted in up to 25 sites, mainly in East Anglia where there are most cases of Chalara. The young trees will be exposed and monitored in the search for resistance.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson announced the project and other measures:

“We know we can’t stop Chalara infecting our ash trees so we have to throw our resources into managing it and slowing the spread. A key part of that strategy will be identifying those trees which have a natural resistance to the disease so that we can re-stock our woodlands in the future. This project of monitoring 250,000 young ash trees is unprecedented in its scope. The UK is leading the way internationally on trying to identify resistant strains.

“However this is not the whole story. In tandem with this project, we are also commissioning research to investigate genetic resistance in a laboratory setting. In addition, we’re helping landowners replace their recently planted infected young ash trees with other trees to ensure that we have thriving woodlands for future generations.”

Open Air Laboratories

Recognising that the public are passionate about woodland, the Government is also encouraging people to get involved in an innovative scheme to help protect our trees, the Open Air Laboratories tree health survey, running from May to September 2013.

The survey gives people the opportunity to take part in a major field examination of ash trees for pests and pathogens, including chalara.

The Open Air Laboratories citizen science project is led by Imperial College and to date more than 600,000 people, 3,000 schools and 2,400 other organisations have taken part in its surveys.

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Our shores have been no stranger to the introduction of new pests and diseases in recent years. Whilst most have dropped off the media headlines, the Forestry Commission currently has a list of more than 10 top pests and disease threats that are in Britain at present. Collectively they could be critically damaging to our urban, woodland, forest and hedgerow trees.

The latest of these diseases giving grave concern over the future of one of our most common and widespread native trees, the Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), is Chalara fraxinea. Whilst the disease has infected many species of ash, our Common Ash is the most severely affected. This fungal pathogen is highly destructive, particularly to young ash which succumbs to the disease rapidly and is likely to kill them in one growing season.

It is reported that ash trees across Europe have been suffering and dying from the Chalara fraxinea infection since the early nineties. In February 2012 it was first reported to have been found in Great Britain, within nursery stock sent from the Netherlands, and later the same year, in October 2012, it was identified in the natural environment in woodland in Norfolk. There are now over 400 confirmed cases spread throughout the UK.

The latest government guidance, issued in March 2013, revolves around four key actions: (1) reduce the rate of spread, (2) develop resistance with the existing ash trees, (3) encourage community and industry engagement in monitoring and tackling the problem and (4) build resilience within the tree industry and its associated parties.

Ash trees become infected via spores from the fruiting bodies on leaf litter (fallen leaves and shoot material) from already infected trees. However, trees are likely to require a high dose of spores to become infected. Infection primarily starts in the leaves, detectable within two months of infection and can lead to dieback and stem lesions the next growing season. Then, particularly in the natural environment, secondary opportunistic pathogens, such as Armillaria, take advantage of the vulnerable trees which can ultimately lead to their death, but this can take a number of years.

The disease is spread either by spores on the wind in the natural environment or via movement (largely trade) of infected material. The risk of spreading the disease by person (clothes/footwear) or animals and birds is considered to be low; but a risk none the less.

There is no current known cure for the disease or effective treatment, so prevention and limitation of spread are fundamental at this stage. As the disease is ultimately spread via the leaf litter, it will be the careful management of this infected material which will be the crucial factor in controlling the disease. At this stage government guidance on this specific area is still vague, as trials continue; so at present for improved biosecurity the burning of arisings, where allowed, is the preferred method of disposal.

The current stance though is not to fell mature ash trees, as these may assist in developing resistance. However it is suggested that in the known high-risk areas those recently planted infected ash trees should be removed and disposed.

As such we all have responsibility to take reasonable measures to ensure we minimise the risk of spreading, or encouraging the spread, of these harmful pests and diseases on and off the sites we visit.

The following biosecurity procedures will assist in minimising the risk of spreading pests and diseases:

• Clean footwear and clothing before and after each site; ensuring any accumulation of mud or debris is not transferred between sites.
  • Clean and disinfect footwear and clothing before entering and leaving a known / controlled high risk site
• Keep vehicles clean and avoid accumulation of mud or debris on wheels or under wheel arches.
  • Clean and disinfect wheels and tyres before entering and leaving a known / controlled high risk site.
• Keep tools and equipment clean.
  • Clean and disinfect chainsaws and pruning tools after/before working on known infected and uninfected trees.
  • Clean and disinfect tools and equipment before entering and leaving a known / controlled high risk site.
• Ensure debris and arisings from known infected trees are disposed of appropriately.

And whilst it is important to ensure we are implementing good biosecurity measures now during high profile disease outbreaks; it is equally important to maintain these good practices at all times in order to reduce the risk of spreading the next disease which could further threaten our native tree stock.

Research and development on Chalara fraxinea is continually occurring and scientific evidence emerging. The latest advice on this, or other tree diseases or pests, is available via the Forestry Commission’s tree pest and disease web page.

(Image courtesy of Forestry Commisson and Thomas Kiristis)

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Covering more than 9% of the total land area England’s ten National Parks comprise some of the highest quality landscapes and wildlife habitats in the country, forming part of our national identity and contributing to our economy and society. They are of huge importance to the people who live and work within them, as well as those who live outside and who benefit from a wide range of services such as clean water as well as the attractions that bring 90 million park visitors each year. Tourism, recreation, farming and forestry are the largest contributors to National Park economies, but other sectors are significant and together provide around 50% of total National Park employment, which grew by 2.7% in 2012.

John Dyke, Chair of National Parks England, describes the economic and other benefits of National Parks:

“English National Parks contribute between £4.1-£6.3bn to the economy through economic activity within their boundaries. That’s equivalent to the UK aerospace industry. This report really shows the great value of National Parks to the economy and National Park Authorities’ role in supporting rural communities and businesses. It also reminds us of the other benefits National Parks provide – clean water, stunning landscapes, wildlife habitats, a place to relax or to be active to name but a few. These are hard to put a figure on but immensely important to us all as are the economic benefits that flow from them.”

Contributing to national prosperity and well-being

The Vision for English National Parks in 2030, published by the Government and the English National Parks Authorities Association (now National Parks England) in 2010, stated that National Parks “will be recognised as fundamental to our prosperity and well-being”.

The report presents examples of how National Park Authorities are already responding to the priority for growth, from hydro-power schemes in the Yorkshire Dales and new cattle market facilities in Exmoor to improvements to water quality in the South Downs and work with young offenders in the Norfolk Broads.

The latest economic and socio-economic data relating to the National Parks are also presented, in order to assess the contribution of National Parks to economic prosperity and well-being, and to identify future opportunities for National Park Authorities to further support sustainable rural economies in partnership with local communities, businesses and local government partners.

Public spending on National Parks via the National Park Grant is less than £1 per person per year. National Park Authorities increase the value of this spending by bringing in around 50p per person in funding from other sources. The report argues that, with sufficient core funding and the support of partners, the National Park Authorities will be able to continue to help National Park economies to grow in a sustainable way and contribute to national prosperity and well-being.

The report identifies fifteen key opportunities for National Park Authorities and partners to address the challenges facing National Parks and realise the economic opportunities:

1. Developing and applying the brand
2. Supporting stronger and more sustainable farming and forestry
3. Promoting sustainable tourism
4. Working more closely with businesses
5. Further developing positive development management and community led planning approaches
6. Progressing economic development by closer working with Local Enterprise Partnerships and Local Authorities
7. Developing appropriate infrastructure to support economic growth
8. Creating pathways to employment
9. Promoting a low carbon approach and developing renewable energy
10. Delivering and rewarding the providers of ecosystem services
11. Further partnership working to deliver National Park purposes
12. Leveraging further funding and exploring other income-generating opportunities
13. Delivering European and national environment, heritage and regeneration programmes at local level
14. Raising the profile of National Parks as contributors to economic growth
15. Developing the evidence base relating to the economy and economic growth

Further resources

• Valuing England’s National Parks: full report, summary and infographic available to download

A short film, Natural Park, Natural Assets accompanies the report:

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• News round-up: fish discards, agroforestry, endangered species, Environment Agency, Natural England
• Securing the value of nature in English national parks
• Sustainable Development in England’s National Parks

The Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) aims to help countries design and implement policies to move towards a green economy, and to identify and address major knowledge gaps in the theory and practice of green growth. The GGKP emphasises a practical orientation for research and believes that the best policy can only emerge from close collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers.

The GGKP was founded by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Bank. The organisation also works with a number of knowledge partners active in areas related to green growth and green economy at the local, national, regional, and international levels.

Defining green growth and the green economy

The GGKP defines green growth as:

“​Green growth means fostering economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. It focuses on the synergies and trade-offs between the environmental and economic pillars of sustainable development. Importantly, green growth does not neglect the social pillar; on the contrary, without good governance, transparency, and equity, no transformative growth strategy can succeed.”
Green Growth Knowledge Platform website

The report states that by fusing sustainable development’s economic and environmental pillars into a single intellectual and policy planning process, green growth recasts the very essence of the development model so that it is capable of producing strong and sustainable growth simultaneously. The OECD has defined green growth as fostering economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets are used sustainably, and continuing to provide the resources and environmental services on which the growth and well-being rely (see Towards Green Growth: Monitoring Progress – OECD Indicators, OECD 2011). The World Bank has stated that green growth must be efficient in its use of natural resources, clean in that it minimises pollution and environmental impacts and resilient in that it accounts for natural hazards (see Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development, World Bank 2012).

UNEP has previously defined a green economy aims for improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities (see In Towards a green economy: pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication, UNEP 2011). The report asserts that the concept of green economy rests on the economy, the environment and the social pillars of sustainable development, while a broader concept of ‘inclusive’ green growth or sustainable development incorporates fully the social sustainability aspects, in particular enhancing human development and the conditions for the poor and vulnerable.

Measuring progress on green growth

The GGKP’s report represents a major effort by the partner organizations to ramp up efforts to establish a common basis for measuring green growth progress. It outlines how strong international cooperation on testing, exploring, and refining measurement tools on green growth and green economy is essential for supporting practical implementation and assessing progress of policies in both developed and developing countries.

The report stresses that greening growth and the move towards a green economy are complex and multidimensional, with green growth and the move to a green economy together entailing:

• Pricing externalities and valuing natural assets for the long-run services they provide and pricing externalities
• Innovation as a means of breaking with unsustainable growth paths
• The creation and dissemination of new, more environmentally sustainable technologies, goods, and services
• Sectoral shifts and changes in comparative advantage that inevitably imply winners and losers

Identifying relevant indicators to measure progress on such a complex and multi-dimensional change and is a challenging task.

The report proposes a “long list” of indicators selected from among the multitude of indicators that are currently used. But while a long list is necessary to monitor progress, it does not lend itself to easy communication or conclusions on whether progress is being achieved, so the report then explores a dashboard of headline indicators as proposed by the OECD:

• Natural asset base
  • Index of natural resource use
  • Change in land use and coverage
• Environmental and resource productivity / intensity
  • Carbon producivity
  • Non-energy material productivity
  • “Green” multi-factor productivity measure
• Environmental quality of life
  • Population exposure to air pollution
• Policies and opportunities
  • Indicator of environmental policies

While this proposal is at a preliminary stage, and indicators may be dropped, added, or adjusted, the report concludes that the proposed indicators constitute a concrete starting point in focusing the green growth measurement debate.

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• Public procurement for sustainable and inclusive growth
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Big Society Capital – one year on

Big Society Capital, the world’s first ever social investment institution of its kind, was launched as an independent organisation by the Cabinet Office in April 2012 with the aim of growing the social investment market. It invests in bodies that provide finance and other support to social sector organisations – making it easier for social entrepreneurs to access the capital they need, and become sustainable. One year into operation, BSC’s first annual report reports that over £56 million in investment has been committed so far, to a wide range of social finance organisations. More from the Cabinet Office…

Defra publishes evidence plans for sustainable economy and other policies

Defra has produced evidence plans for each policy area which has a significant evidence component, including the sustainable economy, waste and resources, and the food chain. The evidence plans will be used within Defra to maintain a good line of sight between policy outcomes and the evidence used to inform policy development and implementation. Additionally, the evidence plans are being published to communicate Defra’s evidence needs and future direction. More from Defra…

Improving environment guidance for businesses

UK businesses and the public are being asked to send ideas on how volumes of environmental rules and regulations can be drawn together and made easier to find. This will make it easier and cheaper for businesses to comply with regulations: businesses could save more than £1 billion over 10 years if environmental guidance were easier to find and follow, said Environment Secretary Owen Paterson. More from Defra…

EU agrees reforms for more sustainable fisheries

EU member states have agreed a package of reforms to implement a discards ban, make fishing more sustainable and give countries the ability to make decisions regionally. Following difficult and lengthy negotiations in Brussels, EU Fisheries Ministers have agreed their position so that a final deal can now be made with the European Parliament. Specifically the Council decided on: detailed measures to ban the discarding of fish; legally binding limits to ensure fishing levels are sustainable; provisions to decentralise decision making, allowing Member States to agree the measures appropriate to their fisheries. More from Defra…

Consultation into EU action on the environment and climate change

In the first review of its kind, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have launched a consultation into EU action on the environment and climate change to ask how businesses, experts and individuals feel they impact on the UK. Charities, think tanks and businesses will have an opportunity to put forward their views. More from Defra / DECC…

£8.7 million funding for key environmental projects around the world

Environment Minister Richard Benyon has announced the latest round of the Darwin Initiative, which will see a total of £8.7 million committed over the next three years, including £5.5 million to fund 21 new conservation projects in developing countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Projects include working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to improve habitats for birds in Sierra Leone, assisting the World Wildlife Fund in encouraging communities to conserve their forests in Kenya and providing funding to the University of Oxford to strengthen anti-poaching patrols in Cameroon. More from Defra…

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• News round-up: fish discards, agroforestry, endangered species, Environment Agency, Natural England
• Business news round-up: water, strategy, product footprints, green growth, low carbon funding, awards
• News round-up: biodiversity indicators, fish, green genius, African farming, resource scarcity, renewables…

Increasing life expectancy is putting our health and social care systems under more pressure than ever before as more people need continuous care and support, with the right systems and resource in place to enable it. Many people are living longer but with complex conditions – like diabetes, asthma or heart disease – that need constant care and attention. Children born with complex conditions are now living to adulthood, while those with learning disabilities and other groups have lifelong needs.

In the first ever system-wide ‘shared commitment’, twelve national lead organisations in health and care have come together to build a system of integrated care that can provide care and support built around the needs of the individual, their carers and family and that gets the most out of every penny spent. By helping to prevent illnesses, properly manage complex conditions, avoid falls and other accidents, an integrated approach can offer better care for the individual with less pressure on the system.

The ultimate aim is to improve the outcomes and experiences of individuals and communities through personalised care and support, an increased focus on primary and community care, and population-based public health.

Defining integrated care

With over 175 different definitions of “integration” in the published literature, a common language and a shared understanding of the term “integrated care and support” is essential.

National Voices, a national coalition of health and care charities, developed an agreed definition or ‘narrative’ of integrated care to provide a guide to the sort of things that integrated care will achieve, such as better planning, more personal involvement of the person using services, and free access to good information. The headline definition aims to describe something that an individual person would recognise as integrated care and support:

“I can plan my care with people who work together to understand me and my carer(s), allow me control, and bring together services to achieve the outcomes important to me.”
Narrative of integrated care, National Voices

A more detailed understanding of this headline definition describes an individual’s experience of person-centred, coordinated care and support using a series of generic “I” statements, such as ”I tell my story once”.

Committing to integrated care and support

Integrated Care and Support: Our Shared Commitment sets out how local areas can use existing structures like Health and Wellbeing Boards to bring together local authorities, the NHS, social care providers, education, housing services, public health and others to make further steps towards integration.

The plans, which will be delivered by national leaders and local areas working closely together, include:

• An ambition to make joined-up and coordinated health and care the norm
• The first ever agreed definition of what people say good integrated care and support looks and feels like, developed by National Voices
• New ‘pioneer’ areas around the country to be announced in September 2013
• New measures of people’s experience of joined-up care and support by the end of this year

Partners involved in this initiative include the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, the Care Quality Commission, Department of Health, Local Government Association, Monitor, NHS England, NHS Improving Quality, Health Education England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Public Health England, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and Think Local Act Personal in association with National Voices.

Putting people first

The commitment recognises that national and local organisations need to take urgent and sustained action to make integrated care and support happen.

The focus is on person-centred coordinated care and support as key to improving outcomes for individuals who use health and social care services, in the context of recent reforms to the health and care system, which have enabled local communities to increase focus on commissioning and ensure the kind of care and support that best meets their needs, with local practitioners at the fore.

Launching the commitment Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb explained:

“People don’t want health care or social care, they just want the best care. This is a vital step in creating a truly joined-up system that puts people first. Unless we change the way we work, the NHS and care system is heading for a crisis. This national commitment to working together is an important moment in ensuring we have a system which is fit for the future.”

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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation seeks to promote and support the development of a circular economy, defining it as

“a generic term for an industrial economy that is, by design or intention, restorative and in which materials flows are of two types; biological nutrients, designed to re-enter the biosphere safely, and technical nutrients, which are designed to circulate at high quality without re-entering the biosphere”

In Towards The Circular Economy, Volume 1 (published in January 2012) analysis by McKinsey & Company found that the circular economy approach represents an economic opportunity with a value of US$630 billion.

Supporting the circular economy

The Circular Economy 100 (CE100) initiative follows up previous work by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in both Towards The Circular Economy, Volume 1 and the Circular Economy Business Toolkit published in August 2012.

While the Circular Economy Business Toolkit provides a general introduction for businesses seeking to access some of this economic opportunity, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is now seeking through the Circular Economy 100 to further encourage adoption and development of the approach, by offering a hundred member companies privileged access to an enhanced range of practical and academic tools. As such, it is aimed at businesses that are already able to demonstrate dedicated operational resource and commitment to the implementation of a circular economy project within their businesses.

18 companies have already confirmed their membership of the programme, including The Coca-Cola Company, Desso, FLOOW2, iFixit, Ikea Group, M&S, Morrisons, Ricoh, Vestas, WRAP, Turntoo, Renault, National Grid, B&Q, Cisco, BT and Tarkett.

Resources for the circular economy

Companies accepted into the CE100 benefit from access to considerable resources in return for the cost of participation of £25,000 for each of the three years of the programme:

• A library platform based on the CE100 website showcasing best practises and other tools.
• Two day ‘acceleration workshops’ every 6 months with elective sessions ranging from circular economy core topics to emerging trends identified by CE100 members.
• Network and partnership facilitation and the opportunity to form research partnerships through the Foundation’s Pioneer Universities Group.
• An Executive Education module facilitated via distance learning by the University of Bradford and designed to build CE capacity within businesses.
• An annual summit including keynote speakers from global business and circular economy thought leaders and giving members the opportunity to showcase success stories and network internationally.

Further reading

• Circular Economy 100: full details of the programme

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• Green game-changers: insights for mainstreaming business innovation
• Circular economy business toolkit
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To start with the good news: here’s an issue that impacts on a host of environmental problems which we all have some direct power over every day regardless of the work that we do.

European and North American levels of food waste or loss average between 95 and 115 kg per consumer per year. In sub-Saharan Africa and south-eastern Asia more care is taken and this is only 6 to 11 kg. Behind these annual mountains of uneaten food lie all manner of sustainability impacts from wasted water to green house gas emissions. Many of us will have ruefully reflected on the packaging, processing and travelling undergone by the pot of hummus or yoghurt that we’ve left to go off in our energy-hungry fridge. Alongside the wasted food we discard at home is all the food lost by the retail and hospitality industry.

“10% of rich countries’ greenhouse gas emissions come from growing food that is never eaten.”
Fast Facts: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal (Think.Eat.Save website)

The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that a third of the planet’s food is lost (made inedible in the supply chain) or wasted (discarded after purchase). Perhaps less well known is that the 300 million tonnes uneaten in industrialised countries is about the right amount needed to feed the world’s 900 million hungry people. If we add in the environmental cost of unnecessary pesticides, food miles and green house gases from rotting food and then pile on the financial waste – to the tune of $1 trillion US dollars – food waste adds up to one of those quintessential sustainable development issues.

“The UK, US and Europe have nearly twice as much food as is required by the nutritional needs of their populations.”
Fast Facts: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal (Think.Eat.Save website)

Triggered in part by Rio+20, this global partnership between United Nations Environment Programme, Messe Düsseldorf, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and an impressive array of supporters was launched in January. Think, Eat, Save aims to reduce the ‘foodprint’ of consumers, retailers and the hospitality industry. The campaign will ‘accelerate action’ by many other food initiatives and provides an information-sharing portal to inform retailers and consumers and offer a platform to campaigners. The website offers a range of good ideas including flexible portions for pub and restaurants, expanding the demand for ‘cosmetically imperfect produce’ and advice on how to ‘regrow’ fruit and vegetables from kitchen scraps.

“If we planted trees on land currently used to grow unnecessary surplus and wasted food, this would offset a theoretical maximum of 100% of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion.”
Fast Facts: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal (Think.Eat.Save website)

A key piece of advice for consumers is to actively choose ‘ugly’ fruit and vegetables. One of many Kenyan farms supplying a UK supermarkets was being forced to waste 40 tonnes of vegetables every week, 40% of his yield.

Think, Eat, Save raised the profile of this kind of waste by hosting a meal of rejected but “delicious” food for hundreds of ministers and senior officials at UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi. UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner explained the motivation:

“No economic, environmental or ethical argument can be made to justify the extent of food waste and loss currently happening in the world, and at UNEP we practice what we preach.”

Further reading

• Think.Eat.Save: campaign information, resources and campaign packs
• Love Food Hate Waste: WRAP campaign to raise awareness and take action on food waste in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
• Hospitality and Food Service Agreement: voluntary agreement to support the UK catering sector in reducing waste and recycling
• Courtauld Commitment: voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery sector

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• Turning the tide: how the EU is using water to save lives and feed the population
• Sustainable food round-up: fair food, UK food system, world agriculture, community growing
• Hospitality and Food Service Agreement to reduce waste

The transition to a green economy presents significant growth opportunities for UK-based businesses, both at home and abroad, and requires unprecedented investment in key green sectors. The UK Green Investment Bank invests in innovative, environmentally-friendly areas for which there is a lack of support from private markets, in order to help achieve the Government’s commitment to set the UK firmly on course towards a green and growing economy.

The Green Investment Bank (GIB) is working to facilitate the transition to a green economy base by addressing the market failures affecting green infrastructure projects. These failures have led to significant under investment in the key areas required to deliver this transition. Capitalised with £3 billion, the GIB will complement other green policies to help accelerate additional capital in green infrastructure.

The bank has state aid approval from the European Commission to make investments, on commercial terms, across the following sectors:

• Priority sectors:
  • Offshore wind
  • Waste (treatment and recycling and energy from waste)
  • Non domestic energy efficiency
• Other sectors:
  • Biofuels for transport
  • Biomass power
  • Carbon capture and storage
  • Marine energy
  • Renewable heat

80% of the GIB’s initial £3bn funding must go to the priority sectors.

Green Investment Bank Chair Lord Smith of Kelvin has set out the bank’s aims:

“The Green Investment Bank has the potential to be a game-changing component of the UK’s low carbon economy, and a profitable centre of excellence in specialist and renewable investment.

“Over the coming months and years, I am confident that our excellent team will put its many years of expertise to work on building the foundations of that sustainable economy, and facilitating the important investments that will ensure its long-term good health.”

First investments

Launching the GIB at its headquarters in Edinburgh last year, Business Secretary Vince Cable announced that the bank had made its first investment, committing an initial £8 million to a project in the North East of England that will generate energy from waste. This will attract a further £8 million of matching private sector funding. The construction of an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant at Teesside is the first of six planned over the next five years, making it the largest single AD project in the UK. The investment, made through fund manager Greensphere Capital, is part of a £80 million investment programme by UK GIB in small waste projects.

The GIB will also invest £5 million to retrofit Kingspan’s UK industrial facilities with systems and services that will reduce its energy consumption by as much as 15 per cent. This investment, through Sustainable Development Capital, is UK GIB’s first project supported in its £100 million non-domestic energy efficiency investment programme.

Vince Cable explained the bank’s importance in the development of the green economy:

“The Green Investment Bank – a key coalition pledge – is now a reality. It will place the green economy at the heart of our recovery and position the UK in the forefront of the drive to develop clean energy.

“Three billion pounds of government money will leverage private sector capital to fund projects in priority sectors from offshore wind to waste and non domestic energy efficiency, helping to deliver our commitment to create jobs and growth right across the UK. Having the headquarters in Edinburgh is a powerful vote of confidence in the Union, and a testimony to our commitment to helping Scotland lead the green revolution.”

Further investments

Over its first five months to the end of March 2013 the GIB committed £635 million to 11 transactions with a total value of £2.3 billion, a funding ratio that sees £1 from GIB mobilising almost £3 of private sector money. Investments have been made in all of the GIB’s priority sectors: offshore wind, energy efficiency and waste.

The full green impact of these transactions will be announced at an annual stakeholder meeting in Edinburgh on 26th June. Provisional results indicate that, once operational, these investments will, on an annualised basis:

• Save over 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions; the equivalent today of taking around 1 million cars off UK roads
• Generate around 10TWh of renewable electricity; the equivalent today of the annual domestic electricity consumption of around 2.3m UK homes

Projects backed to date include:

• A new clean energy centre at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge to help the NHS Trust reduce their emissions and save money
• An equity stake in an offshore wind farm
• A local authority managed recycling centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire to reduce waste sent to landfill and capture energy from waste

GIB Chief Executive, Shaun Kingsbury described the GIB’s achievements and impact to date:

“This represents an excellent level of activity and shows the impact we can have in helping the UK towards a greener economy. We are essentially a start-up and have a long road ahead of us as we build an enduring bank, but we’ve hit the ground running. Our mission goes beyond simply investing our own funds; our job is to crowd-in money from other sources. I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to bring in almost £3 of private funding for every £1 we have committed.

“The projects we are supporting demonstrate the full breadth of the opportunity ahead as we build a greener economy; from energy efficiency in the NHS to getting energy from food waste to building a dynamic market in offshore wind.

“These projects are good for the environment, good for growth and all funded on commercial terms.”

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The OECD considers an efficient and effective public procurement system to be the backbone of a well-functioning government, promoting a level playing field for the private sector and delivering effective services to the public, while also delivering potential savings and wider benefits. The OECD therefore supports governments in reforming their public procurement systems to ensure long-term sustainable and inclusive growth.

In his preface to Public Procurement for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, describes the importance of public procurement and outlines the action governments are taking:

“As a major part of the economy and public spending, public procurement can demonstrate government efficiency.

“In an era of fiscal austerity, ensuring efficiency and integrity in public procurement is essential to ensure sound public service delivery and maintain citizens’ trust in government. Governments are recognising the potential of procurement to improve public sector productivity through savings and economies of scale.

“In addition, governments are tapping into the potential of procurement as a strategic policy lever to advance socio-economic and environmental objectives.”

Big business

Public procurement is big business in OECD countries: on average governments spend 13% of GDP on goods, services and infrastructure, in addition to the provision of utilities by state-owned companies. More than half of this government spending is at a more local level, outside central government.

In the UK, the OECD reports total public procurement spending a little over the OECD average at just under 15% with a further 4% of GDP represented by state-owned utilities. Central government’s share of the total public procurement spend stands at approximately 60%, above the OECD average of 45%.

The potential of reformed procurement to deliver savings in a time of austerity is demonstrated by the example of the Mexican Institute for Social Security, which saved 20 million euros in spending on medicines in 2011 following an OECD review of its procedures.

Procurement and sustainable development

The OECD sees potential for procurement to create synergies between innovation, market growth and environmental protection, particularly through generating market demand for sustainably produced goods and services. While stressing that sustainable procurement can also bring financial savings on a whole-of-life cost basis, it does, however, warn of the possible distortion of competition through unbalanced support for environmental or socio-economic objectives, for example in the form of hidden trade barriers.

More than three-quarters of OECD countries have now developed practical guides for procurement officials on how to use procurement to promote sustainable development.

Through the adoption in 2008 of the OECD Recommendation on Enhancing Integrity in Public Procurement, countries committed to transform procurement into a strategic function, by verifying that its objectives are achieved, whether these are traditional value for money objectives or broader policy objectives like sustainable development.

Reviewing procedures and following evidence

OECD peer reviews have helped assess countries’ procurement systems against the 2008 recommendation while supporting commitments to transparency and accountability. Seven key lessons are reported from these reviews:

1. Moving away from strict compliance to a more managerial approach pursuing value for money in the whole project cycle
2. Ensuring a strategic position for the government function to ensure sound stewardship of public funds
3. Developing evidence to monitor the performance of the procurement system
4. Tapping into the potential of consolidation with a view to achieving efficiency gains
5. Investing in professionalisation
6. Keeping strict control in the use of exceptions to competitive tendering (e.g. for reasons of extreme urgency)
7. Providing sufficient flexibility in the procurement policy to adapt to different situations while ensuring transparency

Further reading

• Integrity in Public Procurement: The OECD’s work on public procurement with Public Procurement for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth available to download
• CleanGovBiz – Integrity in practice: The OECD’s CleanGovBiz Initiative supports governments, business and civil society in their efforts to build integrity and fight corruption across the board.
• Public Procurement Toolbox: on-line resource that captures emerging good practice to enhance corruption prevention and good management in public procurement in OECD and non-OECD countries.

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