Natural Economy

Natural Economy Northwest nurtures natural environment projects that, with the right investment, can deliver cultural and economic benefits across the Northwest. Partnership working is crucial, and a key part of this £3m programme - led by Natural England, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the SITA Trust - is to work with existing organisations to leverage the funding, training, intelligence and support to see individual projects through - and thus revolutionise the economic contribution of our natural environment.

A well-managed natural economy underpins the social, cultural and economic prosperity of the region. The environmental economy already generates £2.6bn GVA within the regional economy every year, and employs 109,000 people. But the value of a high quality natural environment stretches much further than that.

Businesses rely on quality of life - of which a major factor is access to high quality green space - to attract and retain workers, while a stunning natural landscape can vastly improve the perception of the region. This, in turn, can lead to higher levels of inward investment. There are other benefits, too. Property developers recognise the allure of green space - studies prove that homes close to parks, woodland and water command higher prices - while the natural environment is central to regional development policies. The Regional Economic Strategy and Regional Spatial Strategy, for example, both stress the importance of the natural environment to the region's economic development.

Natural Economy Northwest works in three ways. It provides direction and leadership. It enables delivery on the ground, through new approaches to project planning, training and joined-up funding across the region. And it disseminates information, from economic studies and training to best practice, with this data easily available to practitioners.

The programme also involves mapping the socio-economic benefits that the region's natural environment delivers; creating methodologies for quantifying and reporting economic benefits; supplying training and skills guidance; integrating natural tourism within the wider visitor economy; marketing and communications; and facilitating projects in areas as diverse as biodiversity, wetlands, woodlands and Green Infrastructure. Specific projects include delivering SITA Trust's Enriching Nature biodiversity scheme; the Natural Benefits for Business Conference; the Marketing of the Natural Environment report; and the 100 Days Campaign, which launched on 25 June 2007.