SDG 15: Life on land
Parks and open spaces
The percentage of Bristol people visiting parks at least once per week rose from 49.7% in 2018 to 60.3% in 2020. A small decline to 59% in 2021 suggests that the upsurge may have been related to the lockdowns, which accords with the national statistics.
There remains a disparity in the proportion of people from different socio-economic backgrounds who are satisfied with parks. On average, 75% of local residents are satisfied with parks and open spaces in Bristol, but this figure falls to only 53% in the most deprived areas.
Tree cover
Tree canopy cover is complex and time consuming to record, and as such, estimates of the city’s tree canopy cover vary. The Bristol Tree Forum estimates that tree canopy cover in 2020 was 17.5%.
An alternative estimate from 2018 puts the figure at 18.6%, while a 2018 i-tree analysis by the Forest of Avon, Bristol City Council, Woodland Trust and Forestry Commission arrives at a percentage of just 12%. This last estimate is the value used by Bristol City Council’s Cabinet.
What Bristol is doing
In February 2020, Bristol declared an ecological emergency. This declaration highlighted the decline in local populations of bees, birds and hedgehogs. The emergency has led to the implementation of a number of initiatives, such as the UK’s first pesticide amnesty, which aims to remove pesticides from circulation so that harmful chemicals do not end up in waterways or on plants.
SDG 15: Life on land
The number of Bristol citizens visiting parks at least once per week rose between 2018 and 2020, although a small decline the following year may indicate a link with lockdowns, as per national statistics.
A disparity remains in the proportion of people from different socio-economic backgrounds who are satisfied with Bristol parks. An average of 75% of local residents are satisfied with parks and open spaces in the city, but this falls to 53% in the most deprived areas.
Rewilding
Rewilding campaigns, such as No Mow May, have also gained traction in parts of Bristol, and areas of the city’s central parks, particularly College Green, have been left to grow wild to encourage wildflowers and pollinators.
Planting trees
The One City Plan includes a target to increase Bristol’s tree canopy cover by 25% by 2035 and to double it by 2046. Bristol City Council passed a motion encouraging every household to plant a tree to help attain this goal. Alongside this, the council is offering schools in the city mini-orchards as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy diamond jubilee initiative, and OVO Energy is creating a Tiny Forest in Southmead.
Increasing wildlife habitat
Currently, around 15% of Bristol is protected as wildlife habitat. The Bristol Green Partnership hopes to ensure that by 2030, 30% of Bristol land is managed for wildlife. The Bedminster Green regeneration project that commenced in 2019 aims to improve green spaces and biodiversity, as well as unearthing and raise the Malago river and restoring its ecological status.