Platform. The everyday portal for sharing knowledge and intelligence on sustainability across Greater Manchester.

World overlaid with an image of rotting food to highlight Food Waste Action Week

GMCA Unites with Food Waste Action Week to Break the Cycle

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is partnering with WRAP, the UK’s leading sustainability charity, as it begins its inaugural Food Waste Action Week.

An alleyway filled with plants and greenery

Design Your Own Eco-Street With £6,000 Funding

Design Your Own Eco-Street is a new and exciting opportunity from Groundwork Greater Manchester giving communities the chance to win £6,000 funding to transform an unused area into an exciting green space. 

Bee feeding on flower

Play Your Part in Nature’s Recovery!

Here in Greater Manchester, we’re developing a Nature Recovery Plan, so we can protect, maintain, and improve our natural environment. We’d love to hear your views on how we can make our city region a greener place for people and wildlife.

Crompton Moor

Greater Manchester's Crompton Moor on BBC’s Countryfile

Did you tune into Countryfile last Sunday night? You might have spotted Greater Manchester's exciting project to help stop flooding across our city region.

Leaky dams, tree planting and Sphagnum moss pwere featured on Sunday’s Countryfile as part of a pilot project in Crompton Moor, Oldham aiming to show how effective natural methods can be for preventing flooding.

There is no planet B activist sign

How to Keep Up With the Climate Conversation

Welcome to the last in our blog series about keeping up with the climate debate.

Youth climate activist with sign at a protest

7 Ways to Keep in Touch With Climate Activism

We’re back for our second round-up of the best environmental podcasts, shows and accounts to follow if you’re a young climate activist!

 

Two people overlooking a reservoir

Top Picks for Youth Climate Activists

Get switched on to climate change in 2021 with some of the best articles, videos and causes for young environmentalists.

Manchester skyline by Nick Rodd

IGNITION: How Do People Feel About Greenspace?

Is Greater Manchester in love with its local nature-based solutions? The IGNITION project asked GM’s citizens what they really feel about our local landscape.

 

Landscape view of Manchester City Centre over nearby fields and hills

FREE WEBINAR: Biodiversity Net Gain in Greater Manchester

Professionals working on the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain Greater Manchester will want to sign up for this new webinar.

IGNITION project logo

Joining the Dots: The Value of Critical Friends

With 12 partners already working on Greater Manchester’s IGNITION project, what insight can critical friends bring to the table to combat the climate emergency? Amanda Skeldon, IGNITION project Campaign Manager at Business in the Community explains.

 

University of Salford site map

University of Salford Welcomes IGNITION Living Lab

The IGNITION project's innovative Living Lab has unveiled its first phase over at the University of Salford.

Kersal Wetlands, Salford

How Is Natural Course Improving Greater Manchester's Waterways?

Find out what the Natural Course project has been doing to help clean up Greater Manchester's rivers and canals.

Tram at Metrolink stop in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Green Summit 2020: The Highlights

Last week we saw the Greater Manchester Green Summit 2020 which took place over four days. This year for the first time ever all our content, including presentations, talking heads, in-depth interviews and live Q&As were online where people could tune in from their homes.

IGNITION baseline infographic

Measuring Greater Manchester’s Green and Blue Spaces: Creating an Urban Green Infrastructure Baseline

Jeremy Carter, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, reveals how developing a new understanding of Greater Manchester’s existing green and blue space will support the delivery innovative climate change solutions.

An Update from the IGNITION Living Lab

The University of Salford is proud to announce that Phase 1 of the IGNITION project Living Lab has started construction.

Trees along a road in Oldham

Have Your Say on the Environmental Land Management Scheme!

Take the City of Trees survey to give your thoughts on the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS).

Green Summit 2020

Green Summit 2020 to Set Agenda for Tackling Climate Emergency

Greater Manchester will set out the next steps to achieving net-zero carbon at the Green Summit 2020, taking place online from 21-24 September.

Sow the City Health Walk Sign

Healing in Nature: Sow the City’s Green Health Walk at Prestwich Hospital

Jon Ross, Founder of Sow the City, reports on the development of the organisation’s new Green Health Walk at Prestwich Hospital in Bury. Sow the City provides nature-based activities and horticultural therapy.

View of the River Mersey in South Manchester

Greater Manchester Confirmed as Pilot to Help Recovery of England’s Nature and Wildlife

Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been chosen by the government today as a trailblazer helping to kick-start moves to recover nature across England.

 

Mute swan

Greater Manchester Birding City Region Brings You ‘The Perfect Ten’

On Sunday 28th June, the Greater Manchester Birding City Region “Perfect Ten” is coming to a screen near you!

Build Back Better messaging

Groundwork: Greening the Way to the Future

Michaela Howell, Head of Communities at Groundwork Greater Manchester, shares how Groundwork has been working with the IGNITION project to bring about a greener future.

Manchester Festival of Nature schedule

Manchester Festival of Nature is Going Digital!

Join the Lancashire Wildlife as Greater Manchester celebrates the Manchester Festival of Nature online.

Examples of nature-based solutions in action on high rise flats

Greater Manchester to Gain Investor Confidence in Nature-Based Solutions

The IGNITION project aims to bring nature-based solutions into the mainstream across our city-region.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly by Charlotte Varela

Celebrating World Environment Day 2020

This World Environment Day, we’re celebrating Greater Manchester’s work towards the Five-Year Environment Plan.

River Irwell

Natural Course is Making Waves in Water Quality

This World Environment Day, we’re celebrating Natural Course’s biggest success stories across the North West.

Grow Green Map

Nature in Cities – the First Emergency Service?

Sophie Shiel and Dave Barlow, Manchester City Council, explore our need for nature in the time of COVID-19 and beyond.

The return of the Manchester argus butterfly

An exciting reintroduction programme from Lancashire Wildlife Trust brings the Manchester argus butterfly back to its native home.

Tortoiseshell Butterfly by Charlotte Varela

Be part of My Wild Garden – Sign up now

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Wildlife Trust needs your help to make Greater Manchester a greener, wilder place to be.

UKGBC event at University of Salford

Greater Manchester Can Seize the Opportunity of Green Infrastructure

UKGBC’s Robert Winch reflects on the evidence base for green infrastructure, the challenges to its creation and opportunities available to accelerate this.

Speakers at the Natural Capital Group conference

Inspiring Conference Urges Greater Manchester to Work Together for the Environment

The Natural Capital Group Conference 2020 launched a campaign for Greater Manchester’s environment.

Peel Building University of Salford

Developing the Nature-Based Solutions Living Lab at Salford University

Dr Nick Davies gives us the very first insight into the University of Salford’s Living Lab.

The Top 10 Projects Greening Greater Manchester

Take a look at the best projects helping Greater Manchester adapt to climate change right now.

New trees along road

Greater Manchester to Invest Over £1.5million in New Tree Planting

The city region has secured funding from The Urban Tree Challenge Fund, matching existing resources, to plant both small saplings and large urban trees.

RHS Bridgewater plans

RHS Garden Bridgewater to open in July 2020

This week, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) announced that its fifth garden and first new garden for nearly two decades, RHS Garden Bridgewater, is opening to the public from Thursday 30 July 2020.

Hubbub Grab Your Cup campaign

How Reusable Cups Could Save 150m Paper Cups a Year

This week, environmental charity Hubbub announced its ambition to double the uptake of reusable cups for hot drinks.

GrowGreen West Gorton

GrowGreen: Greater Manchester is getting greener!

Find out how Greater Manchester is leading the way in nature-based solutions.

Bird survey on River Irwell, Greater Manchester

The Wonderful Winter Wetland Bird Blitz

This weekend we braved the weather to take part in the Winter Wetland Bird Blitz. Take a look at what we found on the River Irwell.

Living wall in Manchester City Centre

The IGNITION Project: How We’re Getting People Switched On to Climate Change

The Royal Horticultural Society has been engaging the public about climate change and the ways we can fight against it. Rosie from the RHS shows us how the IGNITION project is battling the effects of climate change.

GM Mayor Andy Burnham plants Sphagnum moss

GM Mayor Andy Burnham visits Moorland Partnership

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham today lent a hand to a partnership restoring the peat bogs above Oldham.

GHIA event

Ageing Well: New Year, New You

Christmas might only just be on the horizon, but it’s not too early to sort out your New Year’s resolutions! Get 2020 off to a green, healthy and age-friendly start with GHIA’s end-of-project event on Thursday 9th January 2020 at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.

David Attenborough at Landscape Institute Awards

Landscape Institute Awards Celebrates Natural Course

This year’s Landscape Institute award ceremony was a ground-breaking afternoon for Natural Course.

 

Natural Course was the proud winner of the Transforming through Management and Science award, with particular focus on the project’s innovative new mapping tool.

 

IGNITION – steering the way to a greener Greater Manchester

What has the Greater Manchester IGNITION project achieved for the environment so far?

The Future of Your Green Spaces

Alexandra Park was a hive of activity last week as key stakeholders met to discuss innovative new ways to fund and deliver parks and green spaces in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Natural Capital Group’s Annual Conference

Join us: Delivering a Greener Greater Manchester

Get your exclusive ticket to the Greater Manchester Natural Capital Group’s Annual Conference – coming to Manchester in February 2020.

UKGBC

Green Supplier Event to Inspire Greater Manchester

With green infrastructure on the rise across Greater Manchester, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is holding a special event for green suppliers across the region.

That Counts! campaign in Greater Manchester

That Counts! in Greater Manchester

On Monday 9th September, That Counts! – a new campaign aiming to inspire thousands of people from across Greater Manchester to lead a more active life – went live across the city region.

River Irwell

Natural Course on Track for Landscape Institute Award 2019

Greater Manchester’s innovative Natural Course project has been shortlisted for the Landscape Institute Awards 2019.

The project called ‘Charting a Natural Course: An Ecosystem Services Opportunities Map and Natural Capital Account for the River Irwell’ has come out on top of 185 entries and is now a finalist in the award’s Transforming through Management and Science category.