Nature
The new mayoral strategic authority stands at a pivotal crossroads, with the power to champion a transformative vision for nature-positive, sustainable economic growth. The new Mayor can ensure that Hampshire and the Isle of Wight move boldly toward a future where nature, people, and prosperity thrive together.
Only a genuine shift in how we plan, invest, and collaborate can restore and protect our exceptional natural assets — chalk streams, ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows, and rich coastal habitats.
Humans entirely depend upon nature. Nature feeds us, provides us shelter, regulates our weather, fuels our economy, protects us from disasters and improves our health and wellbeing. It underpins our society, our economy, our culture and our health and wellbeing.
And nature offers important solutions to challenges facing our communities – supporting physical and mental health, cleaning up pollution and poor air, dealing with the causes and impacts of the climate crisis.
Protecting and enhancing the natural environment is the foundation of a strong, stable economy and resilient society.
Far from being a cost to the economy, this new approach will unlock opportunities for developing new skills, industries, and economic sectors, including conservation, nature-based markets, and tourism.
Recognising that nature underpins long term successful and sustainable economic growth is a choice for nature and for our region’s vital industries, agriculture, education, transport and technologies.
This is what we ask of the Mayor:
1. Climate and nature at the centre: Put climate and nature at the heart of all strategic plans - whether economic, health, or spatial.
2. Set bold regional ambition: Release a clear, public statement of ambition to be leader in nature-positive prosperity.
3. Collaboration on a nature-positive strategy: Bring all relevant sectors together to co-create nature-positive prosperity strategy, modelled on initiatives such as Nature North’s plan for a nature-positive regional economy. Base the strategy on a thorough assessment of Natural Capital Value, identifying both opportunities and risks.
4. Measure sustainable growth: Innovate and develop new metrics, such as Gross Ecosystem Product, for more accurate measurement and tracking of sustainable economic growth.
5. Private investment in nature: Launch a regional natural capital market to catalyse and accelerate private investment in nature recovery.
6. Integration of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs): Make LNRSs the foundational layer of infrastructure, integrating natural infrastructure protection and development with the Spatial Development Strategy.
7. Oversight for nature recovery: Establish a new body to develop a pipeline of nature based strategic projects and programmes and to oversee the implementation and delivery of LNRSs.