University of Chester experts say marginalised communities’ opinions must be sought for big environmental decisions

The Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission was set up by the Subregional Leaders’ Board in November 2020, with the aim of building on progress to date to help realise Cheshire and Warrington’s ambition of becoming the most sustainable and inclusive subregion in the UK.  

Chantal Davies, Professor of Law, Equality and Diversity at the University of Chester, was appointed to sit on the Commission to provide expert support on the law and practice around equality, diversity and inclusion.   

The Commission has been working on four themes: Inclusive Economy, Sustainable Transport, Sustainable Land Use, and Net Zero.  

For each of these themes, the Commission has developed an evidence base for Cheshire and Warrington’s current position; a vision representing where the Commission believes the subregion should aim to be and a set of recommended actions to achieve these visions which was set out in a report published in 2022.

Central to this report was a recognition of the need for inclusive approaches towards environmental sustainability decision making.  

Over the last few decades, it is increasingly recognised that marginalised communities are not only being disproportionately impacted by environmental issues, but they are also being excluded from environmental decision making. An Inclusivity Toolkit, built on and expanding equality impact assessment approaches, was used to assess proposed projects recommended by the Commission and in line with recommendations in the report is being used in relation to Shared Prosperity Fund decision making and delivery.

In response to this and the recommendations of the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, Chantal and a team of experts from the University of Chester, in collaboration with Dr Eghosa Ekhator (Associate Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Derby), have carried out an 18-month research project aimed at developing a framework for addressing environmental inequalities and ensuring community voices are at the heart of environmental sustainability decision making.  

The research team has worked with community groups and stakeholders from across Cheshire and Warrington to co-produce an Inclusive Environments Framework which has now been published (alongside the full research report) and is available for use by the public and private sector.  

Findings within the report included a perception from participants that when consultations took place, community voices were often ignored, and that more meaningful engagement was required on environmental issues. 

Among the recommendations is the suggested formation of a Community Engagement Hub at a subregional/regional level, with a focus on environmental sustainability, to assist public and private sector organisations with consultation and co-production. Community participants would be compensated, with a need to obtain a broad representation of community voices to ensure representation of marginalised communities. 

Co-production principles developed by Dr Holly White and Dr Kim Ross, Head and Deputy Head of the Social and Political Science Division at the University of Chester respectively, as part of a wider Local Voices project with community partners, have been central to developing the Inclusive Environments Framework.  

Chantal said: “For too long environmental sustainability decisions have been imposed upon communities. By ensuring that communities are central to the decision-making process from the very start, the Inclusive Environments Framework encourages the development of environmental sustainability initiatives that are fair, inclusive and effective.”

Images:

• First image - Dr Kim Ross.
  Second image - Prof Chantal Davies (main) and, top to bottom, Dr Kim Ross, Dr Holly White and Dr Eghosa Ekhator.
  Third image - University of Derby Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Kamil Omoteso.