Firstly a big thank you to everyone that attended our first future facing workshop.

What with all the spending cuts that we're facing, there is a risk of environmental advocacy getting a bit stale. Thankfully, we managed to throw the windows open and bring some fresh air to the subject, with interesting presentations and a discussion so lively it scuppered the planned breakout session. There were some very positive ideas and also some timely reminders of the really difficult questions. To this end, we will be following up this event very soon.

The next step is to identify who wants to be involved in taking forward a sub-regional group. To kick off this process there is now a YHREF google group devoted to this very subject. If you would like to join this group then please click here (you will need a gmail account).

Outline of the day and brief notes provided by Gillian Flint - RSPB

Presentation from Melanie Taylor/Andy Haigh (Leeds City Region) on initiatives taken so far (UES, Transport Strategy, GI work & Local Carbon Framework pilot).

• The City Region Strategy is based on economic assessment
• Transport includes strategic cycling, CO2 emissions
• Green Infrastructure provides a clear link between environment and city region, rural & urban, and proposals for new investments including habitat banking (starting to be legislative process). More work to be done on planning and joint working on landscape design and development control.
• Local Carbon Framework (LCR is one of 10 national pilots) aims to surpass Local Authority targets. Currently postponed - Chris Hulme to give confirmation of go ahead or not. Either way there is agreement that there is a need for this at a LCR level.
• LEPs: LA leaders have to develop Leeds City Region (LCR) LEP. Will be chaired by business, with equal business representatives (accountability unknown at present). Will be based on existing governance structures. Discussion of the LEP board will happen late 2010/early 2011.
• Opportunities to engage include Low Carbon Economy, Travel, Eco-living, and GI
• Engagement process: LCR level network (Melanie suggested the likes of this meeting could be a network – i.e. one body that the LCR can go to).
• Andy / Melanie happy to act as contact at moment re LCR

Questions/discussion arising from presentations:

• Attendees keen to know about ability to feed into local authority and business leaders – how do grass roots groups do this?
• Low Carbon Economy needs more than just GDP outputs to measure progress
• Risk will be big factor in developing future plans, as well as gains
• LAs now got responsibility for health therefore, as an example, health is part of financial connections to other services

Presentation by Amanda Crossfield (Yorkshire Futures) on ecosystems services report (carried out for Yorkshire Futures, NE, EA and FC, and led by York University). Report has taken national character areas and given each a n importance score of 1-5 to identify ecosystem services of each character area. To be published in the next few weeks.

• Next step is putting a monetary value on each character area, as well as values such as CO2 sequestration etc.
• Graham Joyce – national pilots are building on this work to see how incentive schemes make a difference to the ecosystem services delivered. South Pennines is one pilot area.

Andrew Wood (Green Empire) presented YHREF Environmental Limits work. This report can be downloaded here.

Additional notes to be provided.