New Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) to launch at a parliamentary event in Westminster today
- EHG aims to champion UK gardens, landscaping, arboriculture and environmental horticulture and push the government for greater support for the sector.
- Industry event in the House of Lords will be attended by more than 160 high-profile MPs, Peers, officials, ministers and sector representatives, as well as TV’s Jim Carter and Alan Titchmarsh
The UK’s gardening, landscaping, arboriculture and environmental horticulture sectors have come together to relaunch the industry group with the aim of championing the sector with the government.
The Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) will officially launch today (7th June) at a prestigious event in the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace, House of Lords, Westminster. The Parliamentary Reception will be hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening & Horticulture Group, a cross-party group of MPs and Peers who support the environmental horticulture industry, and the event is sponsored by:
- British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)
- The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA)
- Westland
Baroness Fookes, Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, will introduce the speakers for the reception:
- Boyd Douglas-Davies, Chair, Environmental Horticulture Group
- Trudy Harrison MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use,
- Jim Carter, gardener and actor, best known for playing Mr Carson in Downton Abbey
- Alan Titchmarsh, gardener and broadcaster
The EHG includes garden centres and their supply chain, public and private gardens, commercial growers and nurseries, arboriculture, and domestic and commercial landscaping. The environmental horticulture industry includes British-based multinationals through to independent, multi-generation, family-run businesses.
The EHG’s core members are:
- Arboriculture Association (AA)
- British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)
- The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA)
- Royal Horticulture Society (RHS)
As a sector built around the supply of plants and trees, environmental horticulture will play a crucial role in many of the environmental-based solutions tackling climate change. The UK’s gardens and green spaces can directly mitigate the worst effects of climate change, provide relief from heat and extreme weather and foster biodiversity.
The EHG was formerly known as the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG) and continues the OHRG’s work of championing environmental horticulture – the original green economy industry – and calling on the government to do more to support the sector to help it reach its full potential.
Research by Oxford Economics has found that the environmental horticulture industry could grow to support GDP contributions worth £41.8 billion and 763,000 jobs by 2030 if the government supports the sector to grow.
As part of its ongoing engagement with the government, the EHG will be campaigning on a number of key issues important to the wider environmental horticulture sector, including:
- challenges with cross-border trade
- the need to set seasonal workers’ schemes on a firm footing
- the need to incorporate green spaces into future urban planning
- how to improve environmental sustainability
Boyd Douglas-Davies, Chair, Environmental Horticulture Group, said: “Caring for and improving the environment – be that through private gardens, urban green spaces or public parks - goes to the heart of what the Environmental Horticulture Group stands for.
“I was honoured to chair the OHRG, and now I am delighted to Chair the EHG as we continue to champion the enormous success and exciting potential of the environmental horticulture sector. I look forward to working closely with government stakeholders to achieve our shared aims in a breadth of policy areas, including economic, environmental, science, research, net zero, business, health, planning, taxation, skills and education.
“The time is now if we are to make the most of the next decade of growth opportunities and work with government to create a truly greener, happier, more environmentally sustainable society and economy.”
Baroness Fookes, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, said: “I am delighted that this Reception has brought together not only a large number of representatives from the many aspects of horticulture but also a wonderful turnout of MPs and Peers from all parties.
“I hope that the new body launched today will spearhead a new era in horticulture where at long last, it will take its rightful place as a key player in mitigating climate change and promoting biodiversity. I see it as my role to support this endeavour and to do my best to get the Government to rise to the challenge too!”