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Dimension 1
.
Interdepartmental coordination
:
Defra cannot achieve environmental improvement if policy and practice
in other Departments is not properly aligned: DCLG has a role to play
in planning for green and blue infrastructure; DECC has a role to play
in achieving decarbonisation in harmony with nature. Local inter-agency
cooperation is also essential. Too often, flood mitigation schemes consider
biodiversity only as an after-thought.
Dimension 2
.
National—local
:
Environmental improvement must reflect the preferences and knowledge
of local communities. Early and open consultations, including face-to-face
discussion, are essential for deriving locally-appropriate solutions. However,
investment also needs to be guided by national and international priorities;
if a particular natural capital asset or species is nationally scarce, then this
cannot be ignored.
Dimension 3
.
Issue—issue
:
If individual environmental issues are dealt with in isolation, this can
sometimes cause problems in other areas. For example, the London
Congestion Charge was an environmentally rational move from the point
of view of tackling climate change, but the focus on greenhouse gas
reduction led to policies that increased diesel emissions and worsened
air quality. Environmental improvements must be based on a systems view,
rather than focus on one aspect at a time.
Dimension 4
.
Short—long-term
:
Some environmental risks and opportunities require prompt action.
The immediate misery of flooding must be alleviated quickly and
decisively. However, this should not stand in the way of long-term
investments. For example, the 6-year framework for flooding investment
means that projects with longer-term benefits are frequently ignored
in favour of a series of stop-gap measures.
The Catchment Commissioners should play a key coordinating role,
aligning national needs with local priorities and drawing together the
right people to make each project a success. In particular, local planning
authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Defra’s agencies, land owners
and water companies should all expect to consult with one another and
with the Catchment Commissioner at the master planning stage of
projects that could affect the local environment.