Equitable distribution of nature-rich accessible green space: An Oxfordshire case study

There are well known links between health and spending time in green spaces[1], as shown by the increased interest in social prescribing[2]. However, there is evidence that the most deprived communities have least access to green space, that more deprived communities receive greater benefits from green space1, and that not all green spaces have similar impacts, with more biodiverse areas providing greater benefits[3]. Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Partnership wishes to understand the equality of access to green space, in terms of quantity and quality, across the county to help prioritise effort and funding.

Working in collaboration with LCNR health, ecology, and society work packages, the Oxford Martin School’s Agile Initiative and Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Partnership, the project will investigate the distribution and biodiversity characteristics of accessible green space in relation to socio-economic factors in Oxfordshire, a LCNR case study area.

The project has identified neighbourhoods that are relatively deprived according to socio-economic measures and lack access to greenspace on a number metrics (including amount of greenspace, greenspace crowding and private gardens). These neighbourhoods, predominantly in urban areas, are presented as priorities for greenspace funding and effort. Although it is often virtually impossible to create new greenspaces in densely populated urban environments, existing greenspaces can be improved and protected from development, and innovative ways of increasing green infrastructure can be considered, such as greening active travel routes and pocket parks. In approaching such efforts, it is important that local communities are consulted and engaged in decision making, to ensure that local greenspace works for those using it. Recommendations for Oxfordshire greenspace based on the report have been developed with local government officers and NGOs with responsibilities and / or interest in the subject.

[1] Smith et al. 2023. Agile Initiative Research Brief: Embedding nature recovery in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.
[2] Sandhu et al., 2022. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp22X721445 3Aerts et al., 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldy021

Extension service provision facilitating landscape-scale nature recovery

Context and rationale

Different landscapes present a series of varying physical and social challenges to nature recovery, resulting in efforts requiring localised and targeted approaches. The UK Government Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) initiative represents one such approach for providing strategic catchment-scale farm advice. The initiative predominantly focuses on mitigating agricultural water pollution but there is potential to expand the CSF’s remit to facilitate farmer collaborations and deliver further landscape-scale nature recovery. With the Government’s Landscape Recovery Scheme roll-out, this project contributes crucial evidence to inform effective policy by answering the following research questions:

What are the current niches of different organisations providing farm advice (also known as extension services) in facilitating landscape-scale nature recovery?
What and where do gaps in advice provision exist?
How can agri-environmental policy best support agricultural advice for nature recovery?

Activities and outputs

We conducted qualitative and statistical analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews gathered during winter 2022/23 from 133 farm advisors across government, industry, and non-profit organisations in England.

The two project outputs are:

  • Technical Report containing details of our analytical framework to examine existing advice provision.
  • Policy Briefing summarising results from applying the analytical framework to our interview data at the regional and national scale to compare advisory niches of different sector organisations for nature recovery.
The Good Natured Conservation Optimism Short Film Festival

The Good Natured Conservation Optimism short film festival, now in its fifth year, shares hopeful stories of nature’s recovery and people’s stewardship of it from all over the world. From its inception, this annual event has been held in collaboration with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (with the exception of the pandemic in 2020). Over the past four years, the film festival has seen 479 submissions from 56 countries. Its virtual editions (see here for 2022) have been viewed on YouTube approximately 1,000 times each. The in-person event at the Oxford Museum of Natural History is usually attended by approximately 150 visitors, with consistently positive feedback from audience members and the top three words being used to describe the festival in 2022 as “fun”, “interesting” and “hope”.

For our 2023 edition, we are excited to partner with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery. This includes the addition of a “Nature Recovery” category for the film festival, as well as an accompanying reception and art exhibition based on the prompt “What does nature recovery mean to you?” We will deliver a workshop on positive communication and stop motion animation, giving researchers at the LCNR the opportunity to make mini stop-motion animations and equipping them with skills to frame their work in new and creative ways.

We showed the Film Festival in the School of Geography on October 13th 2023.

You can watch the films online here

 

 

Healthy Ecosystem Restoration in Oxfordshire

Developing the local Oxfordshire landscape as a case-study, nature-recovery laboratory and community of practice. The project seeks to develop collaborations between the University and local stakeholders and landowners.

Visit project website

Robust ESG data for biodiversity

Our AI team lead, in collaboration with the Oxford University Sustainable Finance group, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Centre for the Ecology and Hydrology (Wallingford) and York University has been exploring innovative solutions to overcome existing challenges of ESG disclosure and analytics for biodiversity by tapping into the space of ‘discoverable data’ (e.g. satellite data, disclosures, traditional and social media, Internet of Things, road maps).

There is growing recognition among financial institutions, financial regulators and policy makers of the importance of addressing nature-related risks and opportunities. Evaluating and assessing nature-related risks for financial institutions is challenging due to the large volume of heterogeneous data available on nature and the complexity of investment value chains and the various components’ relationship to nature. The dual problem of scaling data analytics and analysing complex systems can be addressed using Artificial Intelligence (AI). In their report they address issues such as plugging existing data gaps with discovered data, data estimation under uncertainty, time series analysis and (near) real-time updates.

Our report (linked below) presents potential AI solutions for models of two distinct use cases: (1) the Brazilian cattle farming use case is an example of greening finance – integrating nature-related considerations into mainstream financial decision-making to transition investments away from sectors with poor historical track records and unsustainable operations; (2) the deployment of nature-based solutions in the UK water utility use case is an example of financing green – driving investment to nature-positive outcomes. The two use cases also cover different sectors, geographies, financial assets and AI modelling techniques, providing an overview on how AI could be applied to different challenges relating to nature’s integration into finance.”

Download the report here

 

Please note, this is a NERC-funded project.

Potential for Collaboration with Green Health Initiatives in Oxfordshire

Research into the effects of nature on mental and physical health has been rapidly accumulating over the last decade. Alongside a growing evidence base, there has been significant interest in using this knowledge to implement nature-based wellbeing interventions on the ground. The research at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery Health and Wellbeing theme directly contributes to our understanding of this field.

It is essential that a research theme focussed on this topic work as closely as possible with organisations already involved in this field of nature and health. Close collaboration expands research horizons as a broad range of perspectives enables new questions to be asked. It also opens the possibility for research outcomes to have immediate effects as knowledge can be disseminated through existing community networks by partners collaborating with the centre.

The first stage in this project involved reaching out to NGOs working on natures role in health and wellbeing to determine the state of activities on this theme in Oxfordshire. The findings from this alongside the potential for collaboration have been summarised in a report.

The role of volatile organic compounds in physical and mental wellbeing outcomes

The first health and wellbeing project will focus on the role and mechanism of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in promoting positive health outcomes. There is now compelling evidence that VOCs released by certain species of plants can induce physiological and psychological changes that improve aspects of physical and mental health including for example, reduced levels of stress and anxiety along with lower levels of stress hormones and elevated nature killer cells in our blood serum when participants walk in environments that have high levels of these compounds in the ambient air.

However, an important knowledge gap concerning the influence of these compounds is how much variation in ambient levels found across city spaces, affects the associated health outcomes. For example, is there a greater benefit to be obtained both in short term and longer-term health outcomes if you walk in city green spaces which have a higher number of trees which emit VOCs such as pinene (and know in laboratory settings to have important positive health benefits), compared with areas which do not have species that emit these VOCs? Our aim is to address this question and to quantify a dose-response relationship for ambient VOCs and how this varies with vegetation type and cover across the city. Once this first step has been completed, we will then set up a series of experiments with participants from different age groups, and socio-economic status to determine over a set-interval of time, the benefits of visiting on a weekly basis on a set of physical and mental health outcomes.

First phase pilot studies collecting VOC samples and characterising vegetation with a mix of traditional ecological techniques and advanced scientific analysis have been conducted in local parks and woodlands in 2023.

Second phase pilot studies are now being planned.  This will involve human participants monitored with wearable tech and physiological markers.

The project is cross-disciplinary, we are working in collaboration with; Oxford University Botanical Gardens, Oxford University Parks service, and several allied scientific departments who are assisting with technical advice and processing of data and samples.

Dr. Benjamin Martin is the first point of contact for the team: Ben.Martin@Biology.ox.ac.uk

Financing local nature recovery in Oxfordshire 

The newly formed Local Nature Partnership (LNP) aims to radically enhance nature, its positive impact on our climate and the priority it is given, helping make Oxfordshire a place where people and nature thrive.

The Finance Gap for UK Nature report revealed a £56 billion in investment above current public sector commitments is required for the UK to meet nature-related outcomes in the next ten years. Natural Capital Investment seeks to leverage private finance to deliver nature recovery. This investment can be repaid by selling credits resulting from the nature recovery work. The LNP expects to focus on two types of credit – Biodiversity Net Gain credits and Carbon Credits – although more exist, resulting from tokenisation of water quality, flood risk reduction, public access and even emerging, general ‘nature recovery’ tokens.

Now is the right time to press ahead with a county-level framework, and Oxfordshire has an opportunity to develop an England-leading approach. A county-wide approach would help meet the need to reduce risk for the Local Planning Authorities regarding the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain legislation in November 2023 arising from a lack of offsite delivery projects.

The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is pleased to be working with the LNP, by providing financial expertise and support for these plans.

Flowdiagram from the The Green Finance Institute
(source: greenfinanceinstitute.co.uk/gfihive/neirf/)

As part of the LNP’s work on Natural Capital Investment, The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery supported an intern, Isobel Hawkins, to investigate the potential revenue that could be generated over the next ten years through purchase of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) offsets by developers in Oxfordshire, and the extent to which this could contribute to the estimated costs of nature recovery.

Outcomes

We compared potential BNG revenue with the costs of creating sufficient areas of semi-natural habitats in strategic locations (e.g. within Oxfordshire’s Nature Recovery Network) to meet the 30×30 target, and maintaining those habitats for 30 years. These costs are estimated at £800 million, but this excludes the costs of protecting and monitoring the sites, and any additional costs for organisations that wish to purchase land or compensate landowners for lost opportunity costs. These are not the full costs of nature recovery in its broadest sense, as they do not take account of the cost of restoring species populations to sustainable levels, including the cost of recovering any species and habitats lost as a result of the development that gives rise to the BNG revenue. The estimates are simply intended to help organisations involved in nature recovery to understand the potential size of the BNG market, to inform future investment plans.

We estimated that if the minimum BNG of 10% is adopted, the BNG offset market could finance a maximum of 13% of the costs of creating additional habitats to meet the 30×30 target. Around 47,000 biodiversity units would be required to offset the impacts of the developments expected in Oxfordshire over the next ten years. The majority of these units are required to compensate for habitat loss due to development, with only 4,309 representing the expected 10% net gain, worth an estimated £108 million, just 13% of the estimated cost of habitat creation to meet the 30×30 target.

The estimates depend on assumptions about the proportion of biodiversity units that are delivered off-site, outside the development boundary, and could therefore be used to fund the restoration of strategically important sites that could contribute to the 30×30 target. On-site habitat creation can also have biodiversity benefits but there is currently no legal mechanism to enforce long term monitoring and protection, as required in order to count towards the 30×30 target. At least 9% of biodiversity units need to be delivered off-site in order to deliver the £108 million of revenue that could contribute towards nature recovery. However, currently, only 7% of biodiversity units are delivered off-site, which would generate around £83 million in offset funding over the next 10 years, just 10% of the estimated habitat creation costs.

These estimates would increase if a larger target for BNG was adopted. For example, some councils elsewhere in England have adopted targets of 20% or above. If this was done in Oxfordshire, then BNG could contribute up to 26% of expected nature recovery costs (provided that at least 17% of biodiversity units are delivered off-site).

When additional costs of protecting and monitoring new habitats or any necessary land purchase or opportunity costs are taken into account, the true proportion of nature recovery that the BNG market can fund (for a 10% BNG target) is likely to be lower than the maximum estimate of 13%. Whilst Oxfordshire is the focus of this case study, it provides a useful illustration of the factors influencing the BNG offset market and its ability to finance nature recovery, which could be more widely applicable to other councils in England.

Oxfordshire Treescape Project

Since it was founded in 2019, Oxfordshire Treescape Project has worked collaboratively with academics, NGOs, local government and the private sector to support land managers, parishes and communities in nature recovery planning. In 2021 a small charity, GrowGreenCarbon, and the Environmental Change Institute agreed to jointly curate the project and build on the opportunity mapping we had developed in Oxfordshire, in particular working to find ways to deliver action on the ground. Our free reports based on detailed opportunity mapping show:

  • existing natural assets that should be sensitively managed;
  • potential locations for new nature-positive assets such as woodland, species rich grassland, hedges or agroforestry;
  • what natural benefits (natural flood management, biodiversity, carbon storage, air pollution reduction and health and well-being) could be provided in those locations.

The reports are about starting conversations, stimulating ideas and building confidence and resources to facilitate the development of plans for nature recovery; we support report recipients in developing their ideas through advice on working with stakeholders and potential collaborators, linking them up with expert advisors and funders, and a range of other resources such as free access to interactive mapping, our newsletter, and support in working through our 10 steps guide to creating a nature recovery plan.

For many parishes, this has been the first time they have considered nature recovery alongside their other neighbourhood development plans for their community; and for those further along the journey, it has helped them identify the main priority areas for nature recovery, and where they should focus their efforts. For farmers and landowners, it has helped them start to consider how they evolve their businesses best to engage with nature recovery and nature based-solutions, which are core elements of the new central government farming funding, Environmental Land Management Scheme. Farming planning and change in farming businesses takes time, and having mapped information about where on a farm natural benefits can be delivered and where nature recovery interventions might be successful feeds into land use planning.

Oxfordshire Treescape Project is continually learning from the stakeholders that we work with and evolving our knowledge and experience in how to most effectively support land managers and communities in nature recovery efforts.