Funding agreed for series of green projects

Climate projects across the West of England are receiving a boost after millions of pounds of new investment was agreed.

It will be spent on new woodlands, nature reserves and other projects in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

The projects aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help local wildlife and natural habitats.

The funding was approved by the West of England Combined Authority at a recent meeting. But West of England metro mayor Dan Norris warned that extreme heat this summer showed the need for much more action on cutting carbon emissions.

Mr Norris said: “Over the summer we had record temperatures showing once again that we face a climate emergency that requires bold action. We have got to a point now where most of us in the room feel that we can’t take our foot off the gas – if that’s not a bad metaphor. Here we have investments that support nature recovery and renewable energy generation.”

Projects include a community woodland of over 50,000 trees south of Bristol, research on wind turbines, a floating plant system on Bristol’s Floating Harbour, and nature recovery projects in Radstock, Westfield and Midsomer Norton.