Our commitment
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It supports healthy ecosystems, helps address climate change, improves health and wellbeing, and underpins much of our economy.
We are committed to conserving and enhancing biodiversity across Trafford.
In March 2022, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) declared a biodiversity emergency, recognising the decline of biodiversity across England
Our legal duty
The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 requires all public authorities in England to conserve biodiversity when carrying out their work.
The Environment Act 2021 strengthened this duty. It requires public authorities to:
- consider how they can conserve and enhance biodiversity
- set policies and objectives based on this
- take action to deliver these policies and report on progress
We were required to complete an initial review of actions that support biodiversity, known as the ‘first consideration’ report, by early 2024.
Councils must then publish a full Biodiversity Duty Report by March 2026 and every five years after that.
Our Biodiversity Duty Reports
We publish Biodiversity Duty Reports to show how we are meeting our responsibilities under the Environment Act 2021 and the actions we are taking to conserve and enhance biodiversity.
You can read the Biodiversity Duty Report 2026, which sets out our current approach and progress.
These reports are updated every five years. Earlier information about our initial review and actions is included in this guide to provide a record of our approach over time.