Intention 1.1 Reduce the effects of climate change on the special qualities

To reduce the effects of climate change on the special qualities, we will know which special qualities are most affected by climate change, and focus action on reducing these impacts. We will undertake a climate change vulnerability assessment on the special qualities of the National Park & produce a mitigation/adaptation plan setting out priority actions.

Update

The climate change vulnerability assessment on the National Park’s special qualities has been completed and was adopted by the National Park Authority in December. It will now form part of the evidence base for the next review of the Management Plan ensuring climate change has prominence in our thinking as we plan ahead.  Part of our ambition to have a working assessment of all the Park’s area based emissions is now complete, as we now have data from the Government cut to the National Park’s boundary and are looking to develop this further to gain a more nuanced understanding of the National Park’s carbon footprint with demand based modelling.

Our work to address the impacts of climate change is progressing.

Sustainable Transport

In a difficult year work behind the scenes continues to develop our integrated low carbon travel ambitions. We are looking to develop integrated travel partnerships across various transport authority areas, using the Hope Valley Explorer as a demonstration area with scope to roll the principles out more widely across National Park.

Peatland restoration

Development of the Great North Bog is under way, looking at expanding opportunities for peatland restoration across the entire North of England in collaboration with other peatland partnerships and practitioners. This is vital work as the area is estimated to release 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year due to the condition of the peat. A grant is now in place from Defra and the Environment Agency to support the setting up of the Great North Bog initiative and an interim Board is in place. Work is underway with Defra on proposals for the Nature for Climate Fund in order to be best placed to access the funds when they become available.

Over the winter 20/21 a peat mass density analysis of the whole Bamford catchment was completed, this will give a landscape scale assessment of carbon content at a high level of accuracy and will provide a benchmark for assessing the rest of the Dark Peak and South Pennines.

Grasslands for carbon

To improve carbon awareness amongst farmers and land managers the carbon data which the Peak Carbon Tool uses has been updated to make it more accurate. In addition, two further updated versions of the carbon ready reckoner have been created for the Dark and South West Peak National Character Areas, as part of the second phase of the Defra Environmental Land Management Test. The South West Peak carbon ready reckoner is being expanded to include soil carbon as an indicator of soil health, where land managers can input actual soil test results. Currently the ready reckoner has been shared with 27 farmers and land managers through four virtual workshops.

The Peak Carbon Tool has been shared with representatives of the 44 English Protected Landscapes and there is interest in developing the tool to apply to other parts of the country.

Trees in the Landscape

New targets for additional trees in the landscape have been agreed to match the ambition set out by the national Climate Change Committee. The draft Wooded Landscape Plan, which will form the basis of this, has been shared with partners and was well received with good levels of engagement and insightful comments. The plan has been amended to reflect these comments and the final draft will be shared in early 21/22.