In 2021, Green Alliance commissioned WPI Economics to research the link between restoring nature and levelling up. Their analysis calculates a labour market challenge score for each constituency and finds that those with the greatest challenges also have the greatest potential for nature restoration.
Full report – Economics of enhancing the natural environment
An index where 100 reflects the average constituency. It is constructed from four measures: underemployment before the pandemic; the increase in underemployment in the year to September 2020; the proportion of the working age population on furlough and SEISS in January 2021; forecast change in employment based on sectoral risk.
Current and historic known seagrass meadows. This is where restoration is most likely needed but it is likely an underestimate. Seagrass locations were estimated by WPI Economics from named locations provided in Green at al (2021) but may not represent exact locations.
Potential sites for new coastal habitats, identified by the RSPB Sustainable Shores project.
Outline of the Great North Bog proposal, a peatland restoration initiative being developed by the North Pennines AONB partnership, the Yorkshire Peat Partnership and the Moors for the Future partnership. There is no comprehensive, national mapping of peatland potential currently in the public domain, though the Great North Bog contains 92% of England’s upland peat.
The constituencies with the highest potential for new woodland, with at least 18,500 hectares per constituency. Potential woodland sites were identified by the RSPB, avoiding carbon rich soils, important non-woodland habitats, nature conservation sites, highly productive farmland and towns and cities.
All further methodology and sources can be found in the full report
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Green Alliance is an independent think tank and charity focused on ambitious leadership for the environment. Since 1979, Green Alliance has been working with the most influential leaders in business, NGOs and politics to accelerate political action and create transformative policy for a green and prosperous UK.
WPI Economics is an economics and public policy consultancy. We are driven by a desire to make a difference, both through the work we undertake and by taking our responsibilities as a business seriously. We provide a range of public, private and charitable clients with research, economic analysis and advice to influence and deliver better outcomes through improved public policy design and delivery.