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22
Sept 2022
Yorkshire Dales' key purpose could change for climate change
Custodians of the Yorkshire Dales National Park have questioned whether its main purposes need to change to help tackle climate change.
A meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority heard the organisation was expected to lead the way over tackling climate change, but a consultants’ study found the level of emissions generated by visitors were similar to those created by its residents.
The meeting heard that mainly due to the lack of public transport, visitors generated about two-thirds of residents’ emissions by just travelling to the area and returning home.
However, the carbon footprint of the residents of the national park is estimated to be around 18 per cent higher than the UK average.
The residents’ emissions from flying are estimated to be around 48 per cent higher than for an average UK resident.
Member champion for the natural environment Mark Corner told the meeting although the park authority could not dictate how visitors travelled to and from the park, it could encourage greener transport.
He said:
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Nick Cotton, the authority’s recreation management member champion, questioned whether national parks should continue to promote themselves as international destinations given the large volumes of greenhouse gases that air travel generates.
He said:
Another member, Kevin Frea, called for the authority to relook at alternative ways of travelling to and around the park, pointing out how 36% of the park’s carbon emissions related to car travel.
Richard Foster, the leader of Craven District Council, also questioned whether it was right for the park be promoted nationally and internationally, through events such as the Tour de Yorkshire cycling race.
In response, the authority’s chief executive David Butterworth said while the authority had some influence on the park, it was not among the top five organisations that could make significant changes.
He said the national park was still being promoted to British and foreign tourists because the law had not caught up with the reality of climate change.
Mr Butterworth said he believed there was a contradiction between needing to tackle climate change and national parks’ statutory purposes.
He said he was optimistic the new government would review whether the climate change and nature emergencies should be enshrined in national parks’ main purposes.
Mr Butterworth told the meeting:
He said national parks were in need of “better and stricter guidance” from central government over how they should be responding to climate change.
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