What could Nature 30 mean for UK environmental regulations?
A major new climate campaign has been launched by charities, celebrities and politicians, focusing on a five-point plan to save and restore Britain’s beleaguered wildlife.
Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and Mya-Rose Craig are among the high profile names backing Nature 30. In total, a coalition of 80 non-profit and charitable organisations are also involved, led by Wildlife and Countryside Link.
The campaign is demanding a number of major step changes in UK Government policy and approach to the environment. These include doubling the budget to support wildlife-friendly farming, making polluters pick up the costs for restoration of nature projects, and a comprehensive green jobs creation scheme. Boosting protection and funding for vulnerable and protected wildlife sites, and a new law guaranteeing environmental rights, have also been tabled.
‘Everywhere I’ve travelled nature is on a knife edge. From the river at the bottom of my garden, to the bottom of the ocean, to the furthest reaches of the Amazon, I don’t know how much longer we have to save threatened wildlife and restore nature,’ said Naturalist and explorer Bicknell.
‘Two years ago, I was pleased to welcome the Government’s legal target to stop wildlife losses here in England, but since then I’ve seen nothing like the scale of action needed to make it happen, just more political point-scoring,’ he continued. ‘That’s why I’m backing the Nature 2030 campaign, and its five demands to turn things around. Nature isn’t a ‘nice thing to have’, it’s a necessity, and it’s time that all political parties stepped forward to deliver better for nature.’
The UK is among the most nature-depleted nations on the planet. More than one-in-seven native species are facing extinction, with over 40% in decline. Just 3% of land and 4% of its seas are protected, far less than the 30% by 2030 target for both. Public concern mirrors this, with YouGov reporting the results of a June 2023 survey, which found just one-in-ten Britons think Downing Street is performing well on nature issues, rising to 21% among Conservative voters. More than half the population does not think enough is being spent on environmental protection.
‘Next year, the environment will be a major election battleground. Like rivals in an Attenborough film, politicians will be vying to be seen to be greener. But vague promises to be nice to nature simply won’t suffice. Our research shows that people are deeply unhappy with the lack of progress for nature, and that the majority of us want to see the investment and regulation needed to restore our natural world,’ said Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link.
‘The Nature 2030 campaign, backed by 80 charities, challenges all party leaders to commit to five radical reforms needed to halt the decline of wildlife by 2030 – greener farming, green jobs, polluter levies for big business, more wildlife sites, and environmental rights for all. We’re inviting everyone to sign our open letter to party leaders, so that when the politicians next lock horns, it will be clear to everyone who is really willing to take action for nature,’ he continued.’
The public is being asked to sign in support of Nature 30’s demands. You can find the campaign here.
More on UK wildlife:
UK Government faces court action over climate inaction, again
Giving rivers and communities a voice: Environmental Law Foundation
Image: Jose Llamas