Trudy Harrison MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use, told a gathering of MP's, Peers and industry representatives at yesterdays Parliamentary Reception, hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening & Horticulture Group; "we need the horticultural sector, the environmental, horticultural sector to be buoyant, to be thriving, to be prosperous..."

Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) launched at parliamentary reception in Westminster yesterday, Wednesday 7th June 2023.

• 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 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 Parliamentary Reception was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening & Horticulture Group, a cross-party group of MPs and Peers who support the environmental horticulture industry. The Parliamentary Reception was sponsored by:

• British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)
• The Horticultural Trade Association (HTA)
• Westland

Baroness Fookes, Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, introduced the speakers:

• Boyd Douglas-Davies, Chair, Environmental Horticulture Group Listen here
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• Trudy Harrison MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use, DEFRA Listen here
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• Jim Carter, gardener and actor, best known for playing Mr Carson in Downton Abbey Listen here
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• Alan Titchmarsh, gardener and broadcaster Listen here
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The new 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 Trade Association (HTA)
• Royal Horticulural Society (RHS)

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 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

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. This is particularly relevant as 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.

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 honored 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 turn out 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!”