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Sea defence policy in England has proven contentious in the early twenty-first century, with government willing to defend the coast only where it is considered cost effective and not minded to compensate people for any resulting abandonment of homes. Additional focus is brought to this position by the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which reflect a growing emphasis on climate change effects and other environmental hazards, and the wellbeing of the current generation and those to come. This requires policy makers to seek to balance economic, social and environmental dimensions, and to tackle inequalities; with a central commitment of the goals to "leave no one behind". Subsequent to publication of the SDGs, England was promised a revolution in the government's approach to Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM). This paper seeks to understand the nature of this revolution with particular regard to extant issues around just governance. It finds that policy fails to deal with issues over the local acceptability of proposals for change and the bearing of risk, and instead lies principally in the elevation of the problematic concept of resilience and an accompanying ambivalence towards ideas of sustainability and sustainable development. International agreement that compensation should be paid to those countries suffering the worst effects of climate change, including sea level rise, suggests that adoption of a similar approach to vulnerable homeowners might be the more appropriate revolution and bring policy more into line with the aspirations of the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the extent to which charity-led initiatives can contribute to capacity building for food justice in England. The paper draws on evaluations of two projects run by the charity Garden Organic: the Master Gardener Programme, operating a network of volunteers who mentor households, schools and community groups to support local food growing, and the Sowing New Seeds programme, which engages “Seed Stewards” to work with communities to encourage the growing and cooking of “exotic” crops. Based on qualitative data about peoples’ motivations for participation and the benefits that are experienced, we interpret these projects as examples of capacity building for food justice. We suggest that whilst currently depoliticised, the “quiet” process of reskilling and awareness raising that occurs through shared gardening projects could have transformative potential for people’s relationship with food. Finally, we use our findings to raise critical questions and propose future research about food justice concepts and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Socially desirable outcomes such as community cohesion, diversity and social mixing are key features of the sustainable communities discourse. However, this aspect of the sustainable communities policy agenda remains under-researched. This paper uses the case of a community food initiative (Stroudco, located in Stroud, UK) to review some of the challenges faced in incorporating these social goals into wider (community led) sustainability initiatives. In particular, we explore the tensions that arise between the three core facets of sustainability – the social, the environmental and the economic – when they are brought together at a community level. Although Stroudco was established with the aim of bridging diverse communities and broadening the cross-section of people consuming local food, to date this remains a significant challenge. The case of Stroudco provides an insight into some of the difficulties encountered by local initiatives that attempt to operate across a range of social groupings while also overcoming cultural differences about the value of local food. It also raises important questions about the social geographies of resilience which community sustainability initiatives are able to support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the necessity for effective joint working arrangements between Environmental Health Officers and Transport Planners is demonstrated as a fundamental prerequisite for successful management of traffic-related air quality in English local government areas. Current approach to joint working and collaboration between the officers was examined based on the evidence from a three-year study which involved questionnaire surveys and case study interviews. The findings show that despite good administrative devolution and policy integration, the chance of improving specific local air quality situations through the Local Transport Planning process is dependent on other overriding factors which influence the capabilities of the authorities to integrate policies across departments and tiers of governments. Implicit in these findings is the need for a shared paradigm of continuous engagement by all the policy actors and stakeholders if proper integration and the possibility of tangible results in future policy development are to be achieved. The paper proposes a new framework through which such collaborations can be developed and within which solutions to the issues identified can be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community gardens are enjoying a renaissance, thought to be due to people's desire to reconnect with food, nature and community. This paper presents results from an exploratory investigation of two community gardens in Nottingham, supported by regional and national contextual analysis. It examines the nature and construction of 'community' in community gardens and how they benefit their local communities. Results from case-study work show how community gardens help to build cohesion and vitality in a community, contributing to the generation of bonding, bridging and linking social capital. The composition of these capitals varies between the case-study gardens, dependent on the type of community formed. Two categories of community garden are identified in the paper: 'place-based' and 'interest-based'. The former are more territorially embedded in the local community, while the latter may span across diverse communities, with the social capital generated remaining within an 'interest community'. These categories may not always map neatly on to one community garden, although one category may be more immediately evident. The article also suggests directions for future research, including complementary research frameworks to further develop understandings of social capital metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Water Framework Directive is the most significant piece of European water legislation to date. This paper looks at the Directive's stakeholder participation requirements, which are crucial to its successful implementation, and represent one of its most novel and potentially far-reaching elements. The Ribble catchment in northwest England is part of a European pilot river basin network tasked by the European Commission with testing the Directive's common implementation strategy guidance, which is designed to aid member states in meeting its requirements. The Ribble pilot, managed by the Environment Agency, is responsible for testing the stakeholder participation element of this guidance. This paper provides an overview of the early stages of the Ribble pilot'sapproach, and discusses stakeholder participation in the context of the Water Framework Directive more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The links between children's rights and their participation in environmental decision-making is a growing field of interest. This paper describes findings from a six-month in-depth pilot study with a small group of children aged 6–10 years located in a village in the northeast of England. The focus of this paper is on the relationship of these children with their local landscape and how they felt about involvement in decision-making that might affect that environment. The methodology was child-centred responding to the ‘languages’ of children. Two main findings are discussed in this paper: (a) issues of boundary were particularly important in physical and emotional terms for both children and parents and this had little to do with the rurality of the location; (b) children believe they have special knowledge about the environment, which they may express using a range of communication methods. The author reflects on what implications this might have for the design and layout of local environments generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability has come to play a dominant discursive role in the UK planning system, particularly relating to urban regeneration. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role that sustainability plays in a major regeneration programme, known as Eastside, currently underway in Birmingham, the UK. That this £6 billion redevelopment is now widely talked about by such key players as Birmingham City Council and the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, as having a central sustainability agenda points to the growing importance of the ideal of sustainability in planning and regeneration agendas. In this paper, we investigate in detail how and why sustainability has become part of the planning discourse for Eastside and critically evaluate what impact, if any, this is having on public policy decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban fringe has been described as 'planning's last frontier'; a zone of transition and interface between town and country where a broad variety of land uses and activities come together, and where development pressure is often intense. In this paper, we argue that the urban fringe possesses special characteristics, making it more than simply a transitional landscape. These characteristics centre on patterns of land use, biodiversity and leisure/development opportunity which are unique to the urban edge and to land extending away from built-up areas. The uniqueness, diversity and particular dynamics of the urban fringe demands a special brand of planning and management response. Therefore we suggest that the principle of 'multi-functionality' provides a framework for action, showing how diversity can be managed and supported. Through brief case studies, we demonstrate how functional interactions at the urban fringe might be promoted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling of household waste has become a very problematic area of British local government policy-making in which central government has set ambitious targets. Although local government can provide facilities for recycling, the attitudes of residents will be crucial if these targets are to be met. Accordingly, this paper outlines a framework for studying how households decide to recycle or not. The framework has been tested in Exeter in south-west England where a major survey found that respondents were much more likely to recycle if they had access to a structured kerbside recycling scheme. Many other factors influenced their attitudes and behaviours towards recycling, including their acceptance of the activity and their perception of the benefits and problems of recycling as a whole. The research uses the quantitative and qualitative data from the survey to demonstrate how individual attitudes can impact on recycling and how such research can yield useful data to enable policy-makers to adapt measures accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the phenomenon of climate pledging has been little investigated. This paper describes the results of a questionnaire survey of 201 climate pledgers in Greater Manchester (UK), focusing on attitudes and behaviour relevant to environmental citizenship. In particular, attention is given to attitudes and behaviour related to renewable energy and micro-generation, selectively comparing with national UK data. The survey shows that installation cost and lengthy pay-back times have been major constraints on microgen installation not just for the general population, but also for those with a high degree of environmental commitment. Nonetheless, the microgen installation rate among the climate pledgers as of early 2011, before the introduction of feed-in tariffs, was at least 11 times higher than the national average. Using regression analyses, the best model that could be found for explaining installation of the most popular microgen technology, solar thermal, accounted for 27% of variance. Within this model, environmental commitment was of less importance than having given serious consideration to other microgen options. While this was possibly due to group homogeneity, in general, the results do emphasise the limits to environmental citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents qualitative baseline data from a mixed methods evaluation of a 12-month project to promote use of a small neighbourhood park in a deprived urban community in North Staffordshire, UK. Focus groups were conducted with adults (n = 35) and young people (n = 23) to explore perceptions of local green space, implications for use and potential interventions. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. Despite the expressed importance of living close to green space (i.e. doorstep green space), adults reported antisocial behaviour and a lack of facilities as principal barriers to use. Some common issues emerged from discussions with local youth, in addition to tensions and ownership issues over the space. Consequently, the park did not appear to serve the whole community as a recreation space and for some, represented a source of distress and conflict, rather than a resource to promote health and community well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the role of community-based management (CBM) in dealing with the problem of mine water pollution (MWP) in four ex-pit sites in northeast England. The outcomes of CBM can be divided into two categories: ecological (environmental improvement) and social (community improvement). The ecological outcomes range from problem recognition to investigation and remediation; the social outcomes range from community awareness to participation and enhanced cooperation. Both kinds of outcome were completely achieved in only one site (Quaking Houses). In the other three sites, varying degrees of success were achieved in each category. The main lessons learned are two-fold: first, even if CBM does not achieve its ecological aims, it may nonetheless be valuable in achieving social outcomes; second, its chances of achieving either ecological or social outcomes are linked to the resources (human, technical, financial, experiential, structural, legitimacy and network) that the community possesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study commissioned by the Environment Agency to determine the spatial pattern of environmental inequality in South Yorkshire. GIS was used to correlate a range of environmental variables against socio-economic data sets, to quantify multiple impacts and thus identify hot spots of poor environmental quality. A new measure known as an Impact Intensity Score was developed to quantify multiple impacts and this measure would be transferable to other studies. This study provides evidence of inequality between different social groups in South Yorkshire with regard to environmental quality. In general, deprived areas have poorer environmental quality and in particular the most deprived areas often have the poorest environments in South Yorkshire. As such, it fits in with an emerging body of environmental justice work across Europe which has found links between deprived populations and poor environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bentley Bulk local food initiative was piloted in Manchester in 2003 with the aim of creating a “Healthy Local Food System”. It combined education in food, training in horticulture and work on a local market garden with a food buying co-operative and placed these within the context of a local currency. It is argued that, by operating at the nexus of sustainability and justice, the project can be seen as an example of Just Sustainability in the UK. Just Sustainability provides a framework for a discussion of the issues in taking the project from theory into practice. In particular, the paper looks at the challenge of reaching out to the “non-usual suspects”, making organic food more socially inclusive, linking community projects with larger-scale environmental issues, and the ethics of volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heuristic value of the ecological footprint (EF) conceptual device has met with considerable political and civic buy-in at national, regional and local levels. It is seen as particularly valuable for visualizing ecological overshoot but debates about methodological soundness have undermined this potential. This paper examines the emerging opportunities for advanced footprinting approaches that use input-output analysis to test 'what if?' policy scenarios and hence turn EF into a proactive driver for sustainability-oriented policy development. It focuses on the London case and the specific arena of planning policy for sustainable construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from research conducted for the Environment Agency1 investigating the social distribution of the risk of flooding in England and Wales. Following a broadly outcome based analysis, and using socio-geographic modelling techniques and the 1991 Census, the social class characteristics of the population at risk from flooding were explored and compared with the population considered not at risk as a means to uncover any evidence of social inequality. The Environment Agency indicative flood plain maps (1 in 100 year return for fluvial and 1 in a 200 year return for tidal flooding) were used to identify at risk areas. Two different methods of capturing the at risk population were employed; one based on census enumeration districts and the other using surface population models which redistribute the area population over a grid surface of the area of interest. The two methods provide completely different results. The enumeration district method indicates that those in higher social classes are the most likely to be exposed to flood hazard while the grid method indicates that it is those in the lower social classes who are most at risk. We suggest that the grid method provides a more accurate analysis but highlight the significant effect that the choice of areal unit and spatial analysis can have on conclusions about the extent of any inequality in vulnerability to flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the progress that local authorities in England and Wales are making in adapting to the threat of climate change and taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The responses from surveys of local authorities in England and Wales carried out in 2000 (IDeA , Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: survey of activities and initiatives by local authorities. (Questionnaire and results) Improvement and Development Agency, 2000 ) and 2002 (Allman et al., Climate Change: a survey of local authorities, Local Government Association, 2002) were compared. Progress in implementing the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) five-step methodology (ICLEI , Local Government Implementation of Climate Protection--report to the United Nations, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, 1997 ) was used to identify the 'successful' local authorities. The barriers faced by these authorities were then compared with those faced by the remaining local authorities . Most local authorities are not making substantial progress. However, a small number have successfully prepared greenhouse gas emissions inventories, developed strategies and implemented adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction measures. These successful authorities have made progress despite the fact that addressing climate change is not a legal requirement. Their success is due to three key factors. Firstly, they have recognised the secondary benefits of tackling climate change, e.g. potential employment, improved quality of life and reduction in fuel poverty. Secondly, they have the strong political, professional and technical support necessary to champion climate change activities. Finally, they have worked in partnership with utilities, private, public and voluntary groups to raise the finance needed to implement measures both to adapt to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the authors explore data on environmental meanings, and the contextualisation of environmental concerns, that were obtained from a qualitative study of risks to health from air pollution. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 49 people living in two conurbations in north-east England. The findings highlight the importance of the local context (local history, experience, local knowledges and everyday existence) as an arena in which environmental meanings and concerns are constructed and negotiated, and how global environmental issues are also contextualised, and made sense of, within an explicitly local framework. These findings are used as a basis upon which to critically reflect upon the emphasis on globalisation within theoretical debates on 'risk society'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a resurgent interest in, and debate about, inclusive environmentalism. Within this context, it has been alleged that Extinction Rebellion (XR) exclude Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and working-class people. To understand more about whether and how this occurs, and how it might be remedied, we interviewed 40 BAME and working-class people in England and Wales about their perceptions of, and opinions about, XR. We found that, while XR's tactics and messages have varied across time and place, their discourse and activities, overall, have tended to alienate BAME and working-class people. The interviewees were very concerned about climate change, and supported urgent government action, but they were not interested in being included in XR. To effectively build a social movement against climate change, we, therefore, recommend XR activists go "beyond inclusion" to the transformation of XR and environmentalism more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study concerns the effect of meanings and use of language by a local newspaper in relation to an environmental incident in a town in south-east England that will be called Woodbridge. It explores the implications of insensitive, or misleading, use of language over a four-month period towards the end of 1995 through recordings and observations made at the time. The event is explored through the eyes of a local teenager called Tim who was involved in a school environmental education research project and who became a key player in the developing out-of-school conflict. Although the account concerns a controversy that raged several years ago, it nevertheless raises general concerns regarding newspaper coverage of environmental issues at the local level, the tension between profits and reporting truth and the apparent lack of a medium- to long-term approach to environmental issues. All names are fictitious to ensure anonymity in what remains a sensitive memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engagement of UK local authorities is vital if national government is to meet its climate change commitments. However, with no mandatory targets at local government level, other drivers must explain engagement. Using a Geographic Information System, this study compares the spatial distribution of action on climate change based on past actions and stated intentions to a suite of relevant independent variables. The Action Index created is among the first to quantify climate change engagement beyond a simple binary measure and provides a useful comparative study to recent work in the USA. The Index enables investigation of both mitigation and adaptation, which show different trends in relation to some variables. The study shows that action is strongest where the voting habits of the local population suggest environmental concern and where neighbouring local authorities are also engaging in action on climate change. Physical vulnerability to the effects of climate change is a motivator for action only where the dangers are obvious. Action is less likely where other resource-intensive issues such as crime and housing exist within a local authority area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Diverse communities are often considered to be more stable and productive. To mitigate and adapt to climate change and overcome energy insecurities, international, national and local communities need decentralised alternatives to complement and support traditional centralised energy systems. Policies with top-down targets promote the quick fix rather than the most sustainable scheme, and institutional and social barriers inhibit the local action needed to identify, plan and deliver the most valuable and appropriate alternatives. For diversity and sustainability, how can local community-based renewable energy (CRE) schemes be valuable and appropriate alternatives? Interviews and case studies with public, private and community-based stakeholders in the Lake District National Park reveal the drivers, enablers and barriers to CRE schemes. Two solutions designed to catalyse and coordinate local action are proposed: CRE plans and champions. Together from the bottom-up, they help to generate, coordinate and communicate the necessary local knowledge, resources and trust to promote positive data sets on energy capacity, opportunity and need. Thus, planning becomes suitably strategic for achieving sustainable energy futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of “green infrastructure” has experienced a quick emergence in planning policy with little opportunity to reflect on the meanings attached to the concept by different interests. This has contributed to confusion and discomfort with the “lack of understanding” among planning practitioners in England who argue that green infrastructure could be a “corruptible concept”. Here I respond to the resistance to multiple meanings of green infrastructure by critically examining it as a contested concept. Building on the literature that positions ambiguity as unavoidable, I argue that a single precise meaning of “green infrastructure” is problematic because the concept is evolving and divided between environmental theory and socio-economic policy. By doing this, I intend to better equip practitioners in England with an understanding of the meanings attached to green infrastructure and how its ambiguity is used, so that they may secure the environmental benefits that are at risk of being isolated in green infrastructure theory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research was conducted in Nottinghamshire, England to investigate public attitudes regarding home energy efficiency issues. Quantitative data were collected in the form of a postal survey, achieving over three hundred responses. Additionally, predominantly qualitative data were collected in semi-structured interviews in 15 homes. The issues investigated included the grant-funded energy efficiency measures installed by the public, the organisations providing grants, the means by which the recipients were referred to the organisations, and the public's preferences regarding energy efficiency advice. Findings were made about the local authority's success in encouraging the take-up of energy efficiency grants, about the public's preferences for the means by which advice should be provided, about trust relating to energy efficiency grants provided by gas and electricity suppliers, and about people's knowledge of the most effective energy efficiency measures. Additional findings were drawn about specific energy efficiency issues, including old heating systems and compact fluorescent light bulbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to growing pressure to meet recycling targets set by the UK central government, it is becoming increasingly important for local authorities to understand the characteristics of recycling behaviour and the factors that influence them. The demographic, situational and psychological factors that influence recycling behaviour were drawn from existing empirical research studies and used to create an on-line survey of university students in Oxford. Students' recycling behaviour was influenced by situational variables such as provision of a domestic recycling box and the recycling behaviour of family and friends, whereas the student's reported willingness to minimise waste was linked to psychological variables such as environmental concern. These fundamental differences in the behavioural characteristics of waste minimisation, compared with recycling, demonstrate the importance for local authorities to identify which types of behaviour they wish to encourage. The authors recommend strategies for local authorities to facilitate waste minimisation and increase recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social housing in the UK is currently required to meet higher levels of sustainability than new private housing, but since social tenants have little choice about their housing, this poses important issues about the possible coerced consumption of sustainable housing. The article examines residents' responses to two social housing developments in Kent in which the housing association concerned took advantage of government subsidies to incorporate sustainability features. The similarities and differences between residents' responses in the two estates are outlined, and are attributed to the types of tenants involved and to the particular technical and administrative features of the innovative features. It is concluded that, given the potential coercive character of the consumption of sustainability features, housing associations need to adopt a sensitive and realistic approach to such innovations and their possible benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that the poorest sections of society bear a disproportionate burden of poor environmental quality, including toxicity and pollution. The struggles to address environmental injustice instigated at grassroots level also place the burden of righting the injustice on those who often have the least resources in terms of time, money and access to decision makers. The unfolding story of BAN Waste's sophisticated challenge to the proposed building of a replacement incinerator in a working-class area of Newcastle demonstrates many of the issues and stages common to struggles for environmental justice. The struggle became proactive and built wider alliances and a broad coalition across the city for change. The eventual success in preventing the incinerator being built and in producing a superior waste strategy counters the popular belief that environmental concerns are predominantly those of the middle class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising new pathway for research on environmental justice is understanding public perceptions of justice or equity around a range of issues. Here we focus on policies intended to reduce air pollution from road traffic. We ask different urban communities, distinguished by the quality of local air and by socio-economic status, to judge the equitability of policies intended to reduce traffic emissions, both in terms of the environmental benefits of the policies and allocating the financial burden of paying for improvements. In the latter case, we are interested not only in the popular principles of equity that emerge, but also in whether a trade-off might exist between such principles of equity and the overall effectiveness and cost of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents evidence suggesting that there is still a big difference between the attractiveness of urban and rural areas in England, collected as of 2003. Access to local facilities is better in urban areas than in rural areas; Improvements in urban air quality; Concentration of failing secondary schools in urban areas; Traffic levels by road type; Incidence of the main categories of crime in both areas; Levels of residential satisfaction.

Journeys to work form a significant proportion of all car journeys and employer transport plans have been advocated as a way to manage the transport needs of workers in order to contain the level of car trips and, therefore, emissions and other negative effects. A questionnaire survey and focus group interviews were used to evaluate the success of an employer transport plan implemented by the University of Sheffield in September 1997. The policy was associated with a marginal (7%) reduction in car use and promoted a limited increase in travel diversity. An objection to the principle of paying to park at work and ineligibility for a permit both deterred car use. The policy caused a re-evaluation of the journey to work. Nevertheless, a number of factors worked against switches in behaviour, particularly employees' perceptions of the university's motivation for introducing the plan and attitudes towards car use and public transport. Disincentives to car use need to be much more significant to persuade more employees to leave their car at home, and need to be tied to substantial improvements in the availability of non-car alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]