The Tamar Valley AONB team welcomed new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Growth and Rural Affairs) to Defra and local MP, Scott Mann, to the Tamar Valley Centre, near Gunnislake, and provided a tour of the new wetlands intertidal habitat at Calstock on Friday (14th October).

With green finance as part of his ministerial portfolio, Mr Mann was keen to find out more about the pioneering ‘Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund’ (NEIRF) project work in the Tamar Valley, looking at options to attract more private sector investment into our landscapes.

The £10 million Defra and Environment Agency Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund provided grants of up to £100,000 to 86 organisations across England, including Tamar Valley AONB.

The NEIRF aims to stimulate private investment and market-based mechanisms that improve and safeguard our domestic natural environment by helping projects get ready for investment.

The Fund supports the government’s goals in the 25 Year Environment Plan, Green Finance Strategy and The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

Dan Cooke, Manager of the Tamar Valley AONB, said:

‘We were pleased to be able to show the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State around the Tamar Valley and talk about our work identifying how to unlock potential private-sector investment in our vital nature-based services.

Dan continues: ‘We now know that the total value of natural capital in the Tamar Valley AONB is over £39 million each year. This includes, for example, the value of climate regulation (natural carbon capture and storage), air pollution removal and natural flood regulation. Local businesses are showing a good deal of interest in how they can get involved.’

Environment Minister Scott Mann said:

“It was a privilege to visit the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and hear about how it is using its Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund grant to make environmental enhancements by identifying and monetising a range of benefits in the form of carbon and biodiversity credits, natural flood risk management, and water quantity improvement.

“Protecting our environment and economic growth go hand in hand – and this project to drive private sector investment in nature recovery and climate change, is a fantastic example of this.

“Done right, natural capital investment can play a key role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment while providing opportunities for investors, businesses, farmers and land-managers. It also represents a fantastic global export opportunity through our world leading skills and capabilities in this area.”

For further information about the NEIRF in the Tamar Valley AONB, please contact [email protected].