Glasgow has joined Nature Group to improve green spaces

Glasgow has joined the Cities with Nature Group to enhance the value of nature in and around the city. 

The Cities with Nature Group is hosted by Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) to provide a shared platform for cities across the world to engage and connect.

The European Commission has defined this group as a solution that is inspired by nature and simultaneously provides environmental, social and economic benefits to help build resilience to climate change.

By joining the group, Glasgow will have access to the knowledge hub and will be able to collaborate with partners around a themed activity.

The first theme is Cities with Nature for Health, which so far has 128 members from 45 countries.

Some examples of action taken in Glasgow so ar include the city’s Open Space Strategy.

This is a formal planning policy document which supports the emerging City Development Plan, looking at the quality, quantity and accessibility of all publicly usable open space in Glasgow.

This will help Glasgow to adapt to climate change, create a more attractive urban environment, improve air quality and deal with flooding

Glasgow is expected to be holding COP26 in November 2020 and a Connecting Nature summit in May 2021, therefore the council have said they want to set a clear example of what is being in done in Glasgow in terms of climate adaption.

Councillor Anna Richardson, the city convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction at Glasgow City Council, said: ‘Becoming a member of the Cities with Nature Group will allow Glasgow to share with and learn from our partners on how we can best use nature-based solutions to improve the city not only environmentally, but economically and socially.

‘Given the current and future impact of climate change, it is vital that we use these solutions to mitigate the impact and work with and foster nature where we can to improve our quality of life.’

In related news, in November last year, Glasgow City Council announced a Plastic Reduction Strategy.

The strategy includes a feasibility study on a city-wide ban on certain plastic items, a plan to develop a plastic-free shopping zone, plans to extend the number of water stations across the city, projects that remove plastic waste from the cities waster ways and they will also explore the possibility of a plastic-free school.

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