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Greater Manchester’s Sustainable Drainage Design Guide
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Streets for All Supplementary Technical Guidance

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Greater Manchester Five-Year Environment Plan 2025-30
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Our new Five-Year Environment Plan, launched in December 2024 at our annual Greater Manchester Green Summit, outlines how meeting our long-term environmental vision – to be carbon neutral by 2038 – is still achievable, but will take collaborative action from organisations, groups and individuals across the city-region. No one individual or group can solve the problem […]

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs): Eco Grants for Schools in Greater Manchester
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GUIDANCE NOTES: Eco Grants for Schools in Greater Manchester
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Invasive Riverside Plants in Greater Manchester report

The Invasive Riverside Plants in Greater Manchester report outlines the results of surveys of the River Irwell catchment in 2022 and the River Tame catchment in 2023. The information in the report shows the extent of the invasive plants Giant Hogweed, Japanese Knotweed, and Himalayan Balsam within the two catchments; the first time a catchment […]

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Planning for the Natural Environment & Water Toolkit

The Planning for the Natural Environment & Water Toolkit (PNEWT) supports Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in Greater Manchester and beyond to maximise positive impacts on the water environment through the development process. It focuses on the delivery of River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) objectives and the broader aims of the Water Environment (England & Wales) […]

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Green Spaces Fund – interim evaluation report, March 2024
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Report on the delivery of the Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund, presented to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on 22 March 2024.

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GM Local Nature Recovery Strategy leaflet for land managers
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This leaflet introduces the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy, focusing on how land managers can help shape the strategy and play their part in helping nature recover across the city-region.

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Greater Manchester School’s Guide to Maintaining Solar Systems
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This guide is intended to help schools and other stakeholders understand the operational and maintenance requirements for roof mounted solar power installations.

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Working together to tackle invasive non-native species (INNS) of plants in Greater Manchester
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Local Area Energy Programme – Strategic Outline Business Case
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Summary SOBC covering the proposed approach to delivering the outcomes from the GM Local Area Energy Plan.

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Greater Manchester School’s Guide to Solar PV
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Solar PV is a source of renewable energy that can save you money on your electricity bills, protect you against future electricity price increases and reduce your carbon emissions. Solar PV can also be a valuable curriculum aide, bringing STEM and climate change action to life.

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Take action…

To make a big change, we must all take small actions. Becoming greener and making an impact is easier than you might think. We have put together a range of blogs, articles, toolkits and checklists to help you make a start.

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Although we set out with a simple mission to reduce plastic waste, we’ve quickly realised that it’s just one piece in the sustainability puzzle. One of the biggest, but most easily attainable actions we can achieve is to look at where our goods come from and reduce the carbon footprint needed to get a product from manufacturer to consumer. Many of the products we stock are made by local, independent manufactures, who provide us with a wide range of things from reusable face wipes, wax food wraps, face coverings, soap bars, plant pots, kitchen cloths/sponges and butty bags.

Carl from Lentils and Lather

Our aim is to start changing the habits of families in Greater Manchester by getting them to ‘borrow’ rather than ‘buy’ brand new toys. We’re making sure that toys can be reused again and again by children who need and want them – and they are not just sitting in a cupboard or under someone’s bed.

Kim from That Toy Thing

The best part of upcycling is that old furniture is often better made than the equivalent flat-packed furniture we get today and with a little bit of time, love and care, you can create a completely unique piece of furniture for your home that no one else will have. I also love that these pieces of furniture have a history of their own and through transforming and updating them we can breathe a new lease of life into them.

Hannah from Tread Softly

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is providing a further boost to the ambitions of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership to create a thriving, inspirational and connected landscape. It supports the recovery of wildlife through habitat creation and improvement as well as community recovery through providing opportunities for local people to develop skills, knowledge and beneficial connections to their local natural environment.

Jo Kennedy, Coordinator of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership

The reason I signed up to the Green Homes Grant scheme was two-fold, selfishly the measures will add value to the properties and make them more valuable in the future. But more importantly it benefits the tenants, keeping them warmer and prevents problems like damp and condensation. Ultimately measures like external wall insulations should keep tenants happier and ensure they remain in the house for longer.

Neil, Rochdale property owner

We used to think we didn’t have enough time to shop on our local market because we were working; how wrong we were?  We discovered it is an amazing place to shop for plastic free. We swapped tea bags for tea leaves and coffee jars for beans which we buy from The Market Grounds on Ashton Market – well worth a visit as the homemade cakes are delicious. All the stall holders have been amazing, not one of them minds us taking our containers to be filled with meat from the butchers. We get our bread, cheese, fruit and veg from the market too.

Julie from Ashton-under-Lyne

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

The Business Growth Hub has given us focus and extra knowledge. They’ve helped us form the base to grow sustainably and work efficiently as a team while making us conscious of our environmental impact as a business.

 

Ollie Birchall, Founder of Nutri Bar

I’ve not really been a cyclist throughout my life, more of a runner to be honest. And certainly not commuted. But I just thought if I’m going to change, surely now is the moment to change. I’m feeling the personal benefits of doing it. You just feel better when you come into work. It clears your head. There are benefits of cutting congestion, cleaning up the air. Everyone benefits when people cycle.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

We think our water fountain is INCREDIBLE, it’s the perfect place for people to ‘refill’ and help themselves to any of the free edibles we’ve got growing in Market Place. We’re so grateful to all the organisations that helped make this happen. Alongside the plastic free motion that was passed by council and helped us achieve our first Surfers Against Sewage objective and in turn our Plastic Free Community status, it shows real commitment in reducing plastic waste and supporting our community.

 

Pete Fillery, Plastic Free Rammy and Incredible Edible Ramsbottom

I guess I’ve always been what you would call a conscious consumer. I’ve always detested plastic bags, all of my skin care products at home are plastic-free, vegan, and sustainable. My toothbrush is made of bamboo, there’s no plastic anywhere in the house. Everything in the salon has to be vegan – that was the first rule for me. We started with one brand of haircare products that was vegan, organic, and Fairtrade, but the distributor in the UK was wrapping all of the deliveries in plastic, and it felt really needless, so we ditched them.

 

Rachael, Gronn eco-salon in Bury

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

 

Kat Mulhall, Victoria Baths Trust, Manchester

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