Suffolk - Creating the Greenest County

Diary 2007

 * October 16 Suffolk - Creating the Greenest County Conference, Trinity Park, Suffolk Showground, Ipswich, Green Suffolk

News 2007

 * Creating the Greenest County launched at the Suffolk Show, May 30

Aims
Recent consultation, as to how Suffolk achieves the ambition to become the Greenest County, has highlighted the following aims:


 * Climate change - Establishing and reducing Suffolk's carbon footprint. If we claim to be creating the greenest county we will need a challenging but credible ambition for our carbon footprint across Suffolk as a whole.


 * Community and Business Engagement - Everyone has a part to play in improving our local environment and in contributing solutions to global issues. To succeed we will need full participation of individuals, communities, businesses, district, town and parish councils, schools, voluntary and faith organisations that can set out their own achievements and their plans to reduce Suffolk’s environmental impact.


 * Landscape and Biodiversity - Historic Landscape and diverse wildlife are a unique and attractive combination in Suffolk. Landscape character areas and key wildlife species are now recognised and should be widely celebrated as part of Suffolk’s local distinctiveness.


 * Local Food, Drink and Tourism - Linking local food hubs to procurement and a quality tourism destination will have major sustainable benefits, such as reducing food miles, supporting small local producers and economic benefits.

Action needed
Actions required to achieve these aims include the following:
 * Suffolk organisations need to increase the levels of energy they are sourcing from renewable sources, such as wind power and bio energy.
 * Organisations and business to introduce energy efficiency and water consumption reduction measures, video conferencing, green travel planning, car share schemes and business mileage reduction to reduce the environmental impact of their staff and activities.
 * Linking local development of bio fuels and biomass, such as biogas from agricultural processes and wood chip, to community and public building energy schemes. This will bring strong benefits to energy efficiency and local sourcing of energy.
 * Financial support to a “Community/village for the 21st Century” which is moving towards reducing its carbon emissions.
 * Development of a green loan/grant and quality mark which will support the greenest community, school and businesses.
 * Linking Suffolk’s landscape, wildlife and sustainable tourism to local food and drink production i.e. reduced food miles and continued grazing of important grassland habitats. Support by public organisations and business through procurement of food from local sources, and financial support to sustainable tourism activities, would be hugely beneficial.
 * Establishment of Suffolk as a sustainable quality destination. This would utilise its environment and encourage greater sustainability in the modes of travel, accommodation and activities of visitors and residents alike.

Global warming and Suffolk's environment
Why do people live, work in and visit Suffolk?
 * because there is a sense of local distinctiveness in the county’s landscape
 * because the traffic is less than in many parts of the UK
 * because many parts of the county have an air of tranquillity for visitor and resident alike
 * because you can eat good quality locally produced food and drink in the pubs
 * because you can walk on the beach and watch Little Terns

These are just some of Suffolk’s qualities - but this could all change. The threat of global warning is an urgent issue.

UK Coast
The coast will be an environment of massive change as a result of climate change. These threats and opportunities need addressing through a new spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management approach that identifies solutions for the people and environment of Suffolk. Particular opportunities exist, such as establishing clusters and centre of excellence that link economic, environmental and academic excellence in a cooperative manner across the region and the North Sea.

Identifying wildlife species that act as indicators of changing climate patterns and developing community action to conserve these species and their habitats through adaptation and mitigation. The Little Tern is a classic example.