Green build NEWS

Improving environmental policy and decision making will be at the forefront of a year-long research project by Birmingham School of the Built Environment (BSBE).

A key part of the UK National Ecosystems Assessment (UK-NEA) follow-on phase, £200,000 worth of funding has been awarded to the school to investigate how best to approach future planning and learn from existing case studies. 

The first phase of the UK-NEA research was reported in June 2012. it formed the first complete examination of the social and economic benefits brought by Britain’s ecosystems and natural environment. It considered the futures of marine, landlocked and freshwater ecosystems and reported back to government.

The follow-on phase aims to cement these findings and ensure informed decision-making in the future and is funded by Defra, the Welsh government and Research Councils UK.

Directing research will be Alister Scott, professor of environmental and spatial planning at BSBE. He said: “At the heart of this work lies the idea that the environment is an asset that delivers many benefits to people and the economy and the way current policy and decision making processes are carried out may fail to take this fully into account.
 
“Of key interest to us is engaging the built environment professions as that is where many of our future land use decisions are taken.” BSBE will conclude its research involving nationally renowned environmental researchers in September 2013.