The CPES team warmly invites you to our final UK event to hear about the findings of the project, the implications for PES in the UK and beyond and to contribute to the discussion on how PES might sit within developing environmental schemes.

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The all-day event will be an opportunity to hear about the achievements of the CPES team and lessons learned.

The event will be centred around two workshops:

• The first workshop will discuss PES schemes where Water companies have a significant role in catchment management and the potential impact on the Water Industry National Environmental Plans.

• The second will focus on the potential relationship between PES and the Environmental Land Management Scheme, considering the implications of managing multiple public and private sector buyers for a range of ecosystem services.

All partners will be in attendance and we will also be joined by speakers representing a range of stakeholders from the public and private sector.

Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services (CPES) is a cooperation project managed within the Interreg VA France (Channel) England programme. It has a €4 million budget, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and has been running for the last 4 years. Fourteen partners are working towards a common goal: to improve water quality by implementing sustainable Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes in six pilot catchments in Southern England and Northern France.These catchments cover both surface and ground water geographies. The main output was to be a replicable, viable PES scheme at each case study site. These should be self-sustaining, i.e. self-funding, supported by commercial agreements and accurate financial tools and implemented interventions. This output is on target to be achieved at 5 of the 6 sites.

Project activity has involved working with farmers and a range of eco-system users to establish commercial agreements and trial supporting interventions to improve land management practice and reduce the use and run-off of nutrients in fields. Much of this work has been successful although it has not been without issue and is highlighting opportunities for further work associated with broader intervention related to soil health management.