A motion for the Ocean
Norfolk’s wildlife, habitats and ecosystems are vitally important to us and future
generations, enhancing our lives, from the insects that pollinate our food crops to our
residents’ health and wellbeing. The important economic benefits that all of Norfolk’s
interconnected waterways bring to local communities via recreational use and
through tourism, are at risk of being lost.
Norwich City is at the heart of a significant geographical area of ecological
importance, the majority of which is built up of designated Sites of Special Scientific
Interest, and therefore has a direct impact on the sustainability of this environment,
other councils downstream and on the Norfolk coast. A similar Motion for the Ocean
has been adopted by other councils nationally, both coastal and inland, highlighting
the interconnectivity of our waterways.
Recognising the critical importance of biodiversity, and the urgent need to address
its decline, makes it imperative that we declare our commitment to conserving and
restoring biodiversity within Norwich. The Government’s Environment Bill has
required a Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Nature Recovery Network and
Norwich City Council will need to play its part.
Having adopted a Biodiversity Emergency Declaration, we need to demonstrate our
commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity within our jurisdiction and
setting a precedent for outside partners and businesses. One of the key themes of
the current Corporate Plan, is to deliver on the environment. This motion would
enable and augment our existing Wensum Strategy by giving clear targets towards
the objectives stated in the strategy vision, such as ‘enhancing the natural
environment, including water quality, biodiversity, and green infrastructure’.
As a Council that has adopted a Biodiversity Emergency Declaration, we must
therefore pledge to incorporate collaborative environmental governance, to
recognise the interconnected human and biological systems, and build collaboration
between actors across multiple scales.
We recognise the harm to the coastal ecosystem caused by the dumping of sewage
in our sea, effluent from rivers and that ocean recovery is a key part of our
commitment to tackling climate change and ensuring our waters are a safe place for
local people to enjoy.
