A new report, published by GO-East and the East of England Environment Forum, identifies and demonstrates the value of some of the most important ecosystems services in the East of England.

The aim of the project was to see if and how the 'Ecosystem Services' approach could be implemented at regional and local level. Hallam Environmental Consultants where commissioned to carry out the work, developing and testing methods for valuing ecosystems services and looking at the implications for a range of policy areas. The project looked at five case study areas including: Marston Vale, Blackwater Estuary, Cambridgeshire Fens, Great Yarmouth and Greater Norwich.

The project was overseen by a steering group of representatives from a range of key stakeholder bodies including Sustainability East, EEDA, GO-East, Natural England, RSPB, East of England Environment Forum (EEEF), Forestry Commission and English Heritage (amongst others).

The study found a general support for an Ecosystems Services Approach, and the approach was deemed to be applicable at a range of scales from site specific decision making to local, sub-regional, regional and national levels. However, the study identified a number of issues: buy-in by stakeholders is essential to the successful adoption of the Ecosystems Services Approach and targeted engagement is needed; the lack of easily accessible up-to-date data is a limitation on full Ecosystems Services Valuation, although the Ecosystems Services Approach can still be applied where gaps occur; a single 'off the shelf' approach to Ecosystems Services Valuation is not recommended, the approach needs to be fit for purpose.

The results are being used to help build understanding and capacity in the assessment and use of ecosystem services both regionally and nationally.

The project has also led to a further project: this 'phase 2' will develop a range of pilot projects at regional and local levels that will apply the ecosystems services approach to live strategy development or decision making processes.

The regional pilot will use the Ecosystems Services Approach to make a retrospective appraisal of the Integrated Sustainability Appraisal (ISA) of the current RSS review. It will explore whether the ES approach would make significant differences i.e. in highlighting different sustainability issues or offering different options. The project will test whether the ES methodology can be easily integrated with the current approach to Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisals at a regional level with a view to moving to the Single Regional Strategy. The project steering group will be going out to tender for this work soon and details will be posted on the Sustainability East website, see: Tenders Page.

The local pilots are currently being scoped out and further details will emerge shortly.

For more information contact Chrissie Pepper, Sustainability East Coordinator.