Communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are coming together to support a bid for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to become a UNESCO Biosphere - a prestigious status which could help boost sustainable development, improve people's wellbeing and protect threatened environments.
The campaign brings together researchers at the University of Exeter and Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF)'s Climate and Environment Alliance. Community organisations involved include The Ocean Buffer Project and British Divers Marine Life Rescue.
The region has been experiencing significant biodiversity decline. UNESCO Biosphere status could help secure funds and other resources to enhance conservation and improve community wellbeing.
Dr Tiago de Melo Cartaxo, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law at the University of Exeter's Centre for Environmental Law (ExCEL), said: "This work is about championing our resourceful peninsula as a global leader where world-class nature recovery, food security, and innovative blue and green growth move together. By uniting our heritage of farming, fishing, and mining with modern industries, we can create a unified strategic voice that proves land and sea stewardship is inseparable from the well-being of our people.
"Creating a Biosphere would be a global badge of honour that secures our future by inviting the world to invest in a region where people, culture, conservation, and sustainable industry thrive together."
Biosphere status has been shown to stimulate regional economic growth, job creation and reduce local unemployment. Studies of other Biospheres in the UK, such as North Devon, show that for every £1 invested, these areas can gain £20 back.
Biosphere status is a world-recognised accolade designed to improve the relationship between people and their local environment and support the adoption of new approaches to managing ecosystems sustainably for future generations.
A steering group, chaired by Cornwall VSF, will support the progress of the campaign. Achieving designation would require Cornwall and Isles of Scilly councillors to support a motion, along with sign-off from central government via Cornish MPs. Final approval would then be decided by UNESCO's International Coordinating Council.
Two workshops will be held at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall on 22 May and 25 June to spark collaborative ideation and gather community feedback.
Kirstie Edwards, from Cornwall VSF said: "The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Biosphere is a vibrant celebration of what's possible when environmental protection and sustainable blue and green economic development flourish side by side. At its heart, the Biosphere model is a bold commitment to long-term ecological resilience and community wellbeing, proving that when nature and people succeed together, the possibilities are extraordinary."
