It's fantastic news that Defra is providing £1m of funding to York and North Yorkshire via North Yorkshire County Council through the Government's new Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) programme. North Yorkshire County Council will work in partnership with City of York Council and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the area’s inclusion in the LINC programme will deliver on the Government's devolution deal commitment to support York and North Yorkshire to become a trailblazer in natural capital investment.
I welcome the Government's target of raise at least £500 million in private finance to support nature’s recovery every year by 2027 in England, rising to more than £1 billion per year by 2030. Constituents will know I'm working with local environment groups along with Yorkshire Water at the moment on sewage pollution, to help preserve and protect the beautiful environment we have here in North Yorkshire.
Local authorities also have a key role to play in supporting this ambition, identifying opportunities that deliver for people, business, and the natural environment. Through the £4m LINC programme, Defra and the Environment Agency will work with four pioneering local authority areas to realise the economic potential of their natural environment priorities.
Over the course of the next two years, the Government will work with York and North Yorkshire and their local partners to build green finance capacity and capability. In addition to funding, the Government will provide access to specialist expertise and support from Defra’s Arm’s Length Bodies, and co-ordinate peer support and networking to realise York and North Yorkshire plans to develop a natural capital investment plan.
I look forward to seeing York and North Yorkshire continue to forge the way, demonstrating to other local areas how partners can work together to secure private investment that delivers for people, business, nature and climate.
