Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

6 The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
1 INTRODUCTION
This Regional Environment Strategy has at
its heart a vision of a prosperous and socially
inclusive East of England that recognises the
value of our environment as an integral part
of the region’s current and future sustainable
development. The Strategy sets out an
ambitious agenda for celebrating, protecting
and enhancing our natural, historic and built
environment. It highlights the importance of
the environment to the broader improvement
of quality of life for everyone in the region. In
short, we want the East of England to be known
for the quality of its environment, and the
quality of our environmental management and
stewardship, as part of the region’s progress
towards improvements in prosperity and quality
of life for all.
This document sets out the first ever Environment
Strategy that covers the whole of the East of
England. It is one of a series of strategies that form
part of an overall Integrated Strategy for the region.
As such it will have an influential role in deciding
how the East of England will move towards a more
sustainable future.
1.1 WHY IS THE ENVIRONMENT
IMPORTANT?
All life is ultimately dependent upon the quality
of the environment. Without clean air, water and
soils we would not survive. But the environment is
valuable for much more than just supporting life.
It comprises all our surroundings – our landscapes,
towns and villages, individual buildings, and historic
features, as well as wildlife, and natural resources.
How they relate to one another determines the very
character of the places where we live.
The environment is a fundamental influence on
our quality of life. It provides inspiration and, used
wisely, it is a source of wealth. The environment
is worth protecting for its own sake, as well as for
the benefits it brings to individuals, communities,
institutions and business. It:
• Helps to define regional identity
and distinctiveness.
Introduction
• Offers access to green space, and contact with
nature and history, providing people with a
variety of recreational and health benefits.
• Provides environmental resources including
minerals, water, energy, and soils, directly
contributing to the region’s economy.
• Creates the conditions needed to attract inward
investment, and retain those businesses that
already exist in the region.
• Acts as a focus for regeneration through the
repair and conservation of the built environment.
For these reasons, a high quality environment is
crucial for our well-being. This also means that we
have a shared responsibility for maintaining and
enhancing the environment of the East of England,
both now and for future generations.
But the importance of protecting and enhancing
the environment is only beginning to be understood.
The Government recognised this when it published
its strategy for sustainable development,
‘A better quality of life’:
“in the past success has been measured by
economic growth alone….we have failed to
see how our economy, our environment and
our society are all one.”
This Environment Strategy for the East of England
sets an agenda for ensuring that the environmental
part of this equation is given due weight in decision
making, in line with the fundamental principle of
sustainability, which is to:
“meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs” (Our
Common Future’ – The Brundtland Report).
The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
7