When it comes to fighting climate change, the UK’s grassland ecologists and forestry departments are not going to let it go to waste.

As part of the ‘Tollgate’ campaign, the National Trust for England and Wales and the Royal Horticultural Society have been holding annual meetings to discuss the most pressing issues facing the environment, with a view to mobilising a national conservation plan.

In this latest meeting in Manchester, the RHCs annual meeting was held to discuss how the national conservation programme could be implemented, with delegates meeting with representatives of government, industry and the private sector.

“The first thing that struck me is the level of urgency with which the government and industry are responding to climate change,” said David Riddell, president of the RHFS and the chair of the meeting.

It was at the meeting that the RHHS’ senior vice president for conservation, Simon Gough, was invited to give a presentation to the public about the government’s response to the threat of climate change.

Riddell said the government was being more proactive than ever.

“The government’s climate change policy is being put into place, it’s on the books and people have been told they need to be concerned about climate change.”

Gough was also asked to explain why he felt the government had not prioritised grassland conservation in its response to climate.

He said that while the government knew the situation was dire, it had no plans to address the issue.

As part of its ‘Tollsgate’ effort, the Trust for Great Britain has held annual meetings since 2009, to discuss ways to improve the way that the country responds to climate threats.

During the meeting, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ chairman, Professor Roger Johnson, made a presentation about the impacts of climate and the impacts that the environment could face, including the impacts on grassland ecosystems.

The RHC said that the meeting was “a real test” of how the government has responded to the challenges facing grassland communities, with the public invited to take part in the discussions.

“This meeting has been a real test of what the government is doing in response to grassland people’s concerns and how they’re responding to their concerns,” Riddells said.

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