Covid recovery report recommends sustainable drainage as a stimulus measure

Funding to create Sustainable Drainage Systems and packages focused on increasing property flood resilience should be front-loaded as a Covid-19 stimulus measure.

That was one recommendation from a Policy Connect report published last week following a cross-party inquiry chaired by former environment secretary Hilary Benn MP and former climate change minister Lord Ian Duncan. The report, Green Bill of Health, called for public health and climate change to be put at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery from Covid, and showcased during the UK’s presidency of COP26 in November 2021.

The 11 recommendations were:

• ensure that stimulus and recovery measures do not subsidise carbon intensive industries that lock in climate risks and worsen health conditions;

• use stimulus and recovery measures to promote active transport, and building on this, widen the UK’s COP26 presidency focus on sustainable vehicles to sustainable transport more broadly, including cycling and walking;

• ensure that stimulus and recovery measures from Covid-19 facilitate the durable transition to a climate resilient, energy efficient and healthy building stock.

• couple the NHS net zero plan with a comprehensive adaptation strategy and include responding to climate change as a priority of the new National Institute for Health Protection;

• use Covid-19 stimulus measures to expand high quality green spaces;

• frontload funding to create Sustainable Drainage Systems as a Covid-19 stimulus measure and launch stimulus packages that specifically focus on increasing Property Flood Resilience;

• establish and lead a coalition of countries promoting a green, resilient and healthy recovery from Covid-19.

• lead by example at COP26 through a set of ambitious domestic policies;

• emphasise the role of the health care sector in climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience at COP26;

• install the secretary of state for health and social care as a permanent member of the Climate Action Strategy Committee and Climate Action Implementation Committee; and

• support the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill to enshrine in law a duty on public bodies to safeguard the wellbeing of future generations.