What does Labour think about the Landscape Recovery scheme?

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when new governments come to power, they tend to have to focus on big vote-winning policies. In this case, these seem to be the economy, health services and immigration, leaving little room for others. Despite the British public voting on a recent poll that climate change was something which people were worried about after the cost of living (ONS September to October 2022), this poll gave the then government little impetus to act.

However, the Labour government seems to have made positive comments about its commitment to climate change-related policies, including plans such as GB Energy, the desire to hold the water regulators accountable, and the acknowledgement of the importance of pushing harder to meet our previously set climate targets. With this, however, some of us are left wondering about the non-headline-grabbing, micro-level policies. And on this note, here comes the landscape recovery scheme.

What is the landscape recovery scheme?

It forms part of the environmental land management schemes headed by Defra, which aim to incentivise those working in the agricultural sector to transition to more sustainable methods of production and/or farming.

It pays landowners who want to commit to more sustainable policies for the development of their areas, including, but not limited to, land use change and ecosystem and habitat restoration. According to the NFU, there have been two calls for bids to develop these projects; however, sometime in 2024, this round will continue and extend.

Where would the funding come from?

The scheme itself would establish individualised agreements between the landowners and Defra, extending beyond 20 years or more to allow cost-effective contracts. Since the agency wants to promote large-scale land use change for the long term, it would use a mixture of private and public funding to diversify its sources of funding. However, this approach to financing is new in its development; whilst having examples in other sectors such as transport and healthcare, a funding model tailored for LR in this manner is relatively modern in its approach.

The questions raised by how the LR scheme would operate are impacted mainly by the change in government.

1. Would the Labour Party still be committed to this investment model? A little context would include that under Blair; there was more of a commitment to this form of investment in other sectors like Transport and Healthcare. However, under the Starmer government, whilst influenced by Blair, he might also want to pave his own path.

2. Admittedly, while the meetings are going ahead in September, where more information will be revealed, what will the next investment and funding look like? As new proposals will be submitted, it would be interesting to know whether the criteria DEFRA initially enacted for the proposals may be changed under Steve Reed’s guidance (the new Secretary of State).

3. Additionally, the scheme needs to be explicitly mentioned in the manifesto, which again focuses on the broad overarching goals. Critics of the Labour Party’s manifesto (specifically Climate activists) argued that there appears to be little specification about biodiversity loss and climate change (Big Issue). However, to offer an even-handed approach, rollover of legislation that was going and not objectionable to the Labour Government may just have been something they wanted to enact without fanfare.

   
   

Whilst the LR future remains entirely speculative, here is a recap of the specific manifesto commitments made to protect the natural environment.

Restoration of Nature

• halting species decline by 2030

• new law to protect and restore biodiversity

• restore 30% of land and seas for nature

• increased funding for environmental protections

  
  

Protection of National Parks and Green Spaces

Labour has committed to more robust protections for pre-existing parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (all of Devon comes to mind!). They firmly believe that the expansion of green spaces will not only improve the mental health of our young, but the active urban rewilding initiatives will help foster a positive sense of commitment to protecting animals who share this earth with us.

Other policies of interest: Commitment to Tree Planting and Peatland restoration. As well as pollution reduction.

A crucial part of Labour’s commitment to protecting nature that has not got as much press attention as the other environmental policies it has laid out, perhaps not as radical, is its desire to help manage the harmful effects of climate change impacting our local areas.

This includes planting millions of trees and restoring peatlands—urgently required for carbon capture, which reduces the harmful effects of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere and our daily lives—especially the air we breathe. Furthermore, it is a fundamental step in changing the landscape of pre-existing wildlife habitats, allowing for animal and natural security such that species do not have to experience frequent loss of their habitat.

Similarly, Labour wants to make more concerted efforts to reduce pollution, something which London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been a forerunner on, not just with his policies surrounding the ULEZ but also with the book he wrote, Breathe: Tackle the Climate Emergency, explaining why he cares so much about it. This can be seen in both water and air pollution measures and their commitment to proper regulation and enforcement on pollutants affecting rivers and communities.

The key contacts should you have any concerns to address include:

Croydon East: Natasha Irons, Labour Party

Croydon West: Sarah Jones, Labour Party

Croydon South: Chris Philp, Conservative Party

Streatham & Croydon North: Steve Reed, Labour Party and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Since we are at an exciting time in our politics, the last government before the 2030 targets will either be met or missed; now is a golden opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to greener energy or any other aspect of climate-related policy.