Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Long term climate change models predict that rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns with increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather.
The special qualities of the National Park make it a national treasure in its own right, but it can also be of significant benefit to the nation in tackling the effects of climate change as an absorber of carbon through its trees, soils and peatland.
Our vision for 2040
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan contains eight objectives to achieve over the next five to ten years. This aim to make progress towards our vision that, by 2040 the Yorkshire Dales National Park will be:
Resilient and responsive to the impacts of climate change, storing more carbon each year than it produces
Management Plan objectives
D1 Through the Yorkshire Peat Partnership, help farmers and landowners to restore more natural drainage that slows the flow of water, enhances biodiversity and reduces carbon emissions across a further 5,000 hectares of degraded peatland, taking the total to 19,000 hectares, by 2018.
D2 Reduce carbon emissions and improve the viability of local businesses and communities by increasing the take up of small-scale renewable energy so that at least 5 megawatts have been installed by 2018.
D3 Promote take up of energy efficiency measures that are suited to the traditional building stock so as to cut energy costs and support efforts to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016.
D4 Make semi-natural habitats more resilient and adaptable to the uncertainties of climate change and the risks from new pests and diseases by helping farmers and landowners to 'buffer' or link together a number of the key gaps by 2018.
D5 Help local communities to adapt to the impacts of more extreme weather conditions, identifying sites most at risk and using these to target appropriate local interventions and resilience measures.
D6 Support farmers and landowners to create at least 400 hectares of new native woodland by 2020, to strengthen habitat networks, increase carbon storage and help to reduce flooding.
D7 Ensure that at least 66% of all woodland is in active management by 2018 and develop a locally-based woodfuel initiative.
D8 Minimise road haulage and maximise the use of rail to transport quarry products and commercial timber, including establishing rail links at the three quarries in Ribblesdale and reducing combined road haulage from these quarries by at least 50% (compared to 2011), by 2018.
