Bristol City Council unveil Ecological Emergency Action Plan
It sets out how they will work towards increasing the amount of greenspace, improving our waterways and reducing the use of pesticides
Bristol City Council have promised to put the ecological emergency at the forefront of every decision they make.
Today at Eastwood Farm Nature Reserve Mayor Marvin Rees and cabinet member for climate, ecology, energy and waste Nicola Beech launched what they're calling Bristol's Ecological Emergency Action Plan.
The four year plan sets out how the council will work to reduce the amount of pesticides used in the city, increase the amount of land set aside for nature and improve the quality of our waterways among other things.
It says the council will work with communities, organisations and businesses to make sure the goals are met.
A press release put out alongside the announcement says a a Bristol wildlife index will be created to help track if the council's actions are making a difference.
That will include a list of all species found in the city.
Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said: “Here in Bristol we are fortunate to have many green open spaces and wildlife areas that we enjoy and make us healthier and happier, and many of our citizens already help to encourage nature in their gardens or by volunteering in their communities.
"However, globally and locally, we are seeing nature collapse rapidly.
"For example, since 1970, globally we’ve lost 60 per cent of wild invertebrates and up to 76 per cent of insects, while in Bristol songbird populations, like swifts and starlings, have dropped by more than 96 per cent.
“Bristol was the first city in the UK to declare an Ecological Emergency in 2020 in response to the drastic decline in wildlife and developing the One City Ecological Emergency Strategy was our signal that we intend to meet this challenge, setting out the ambitious steps we as a city we need to take and how we intend to do it.’’
Cabinet member Nicola Beech says the council is committed to doing its bit.
“The council’s action plan outlines the action being taken in the four years up to 2025 and how we will also be supporting other partner-led city-wide actions to meet the goals," she said.
"Some actions can be taken quickly, others will take years, but we can all do something, be it creating space for nature, reducing pollution in our everyday activities and reducing our environmental footprint in what we buy.
“In partnership with our communities, city organisations and businesses we want to inspire them to deliver their own action plans to help us create a healthy city which is rich in wildlife.
"As the individual activities in this plan are developed and delivered we will engage with communities, parks groups, developers and a wide range of organisations to deliver the most effective action.’’
If you want to read the full plan you can do so here.