The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) today (Wednesday) calls for close attention to be paid to an ambitious report that proposes to make Britain carbon neutral by 2030 [1], and particularly its implications for the countryside.

The report, ‘Zero Carbon Britain 2030,’ published by the Centre for Alternative Technology, rightly puts energy reduction at the heart of their proposals. These include plans to refurbish buildings for energy efficiency, to travel less but use public transport more, and to put land use planning at the heart of how we design places to be both good to live in and good for the environment.

Dustin Benton, Senior Policy Officer for CPRE, says: “Many policies which are good for the climate are good for rural character and natural beauty too. Measures to preserve peat and grasslands will cut emissions while benefitting wildlife and people. Proposals for an offshore energy grid powered by marine renewables show how we can keep the lights on while protecting our most valuable landscapes.”

However, CPRE is not convinced by all the report’s suggestions. Proposals to convert nearly 10 per cent of agricultural land to grow biofuels for transport in the context of a 70 per cent reduction in overall agricultural land use is likely to mean that many landscapes would move from the familiar pattern of hedgerows and pastures to miscanthus and woodland. CPRE believes that decarbonising Britain will require a reduction in intensive livestock farming and a change to the way that we consume. But we must be careful not to undercut a rural economy increasingly focused on local produce or damage the beauty and biodiversity of England's countryside in a drive to cut carbon.

Dustin Benton concludes: “This report reveals the hidden environmental consequences of our lifestyles by showing the dramatic changes to the shape and character of rural areas that could be needed to cut emissions to zero. Tackling climate change will mean changes to the countryside, but our choices on how to achieve emissions cuts need to be informed by a concern for wildlife, rural character, and a desire to protect natural beauty.”

Ends

Notes to Editors
1. Centre for Alternative Technology, ‘Zero carbon Britain 2030’, 16 June 2010: www.zerocarbonbritain.com

• CPRE launched 2026 - A Vision for the Countryside in May 2009, setting out a positive and optimistic vision for the future of the beautiful English countryside in 2026, the charity’s centenary year. The Vision’s key issues include: affordable, high quality housing; urban regeneration; Green Belts; better planning; green energy; local food and farming; quality of life; light pollution and valuing the countryside as a national asset.  For further information go to www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/environment/2026-a-vision-for-the-countryside.
• CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk