It’s on! 6 weeks from now people across the UK will go to the polls to choose their next government in what will be one of the most important elections in a generation.
Our natural world is in a precarious state. Last year’s State of Nature report revealed catastrophic declines in wildlife, with 1 in 6 species at risk of extinction from Britain. Less than a decade ago, the same study found that 1 in 10 species were threatened with extinction. Put bluntly, nature is in freefall.
In 2022 the UK endured its first ever 40°C day. The Climate Change Committee, who advise the UK Government on climate, have since cautioned that the UK has lost its position as a global leader on climate, and that policy development and implementation continues to be too slow.
The upcoming election will be crucial for the future viability of life on our planet, yet some politicians have failed to grasp the depth of concern over disappearing wildlife and the impacts of climate change.
Recent polling from The Wildlife Trusts has revealed that nature is not a partisan issue; almost identical numbers of environmental charity supporters vote Conservative as vote Labour. Voters on the left and on the right feel similarly connected to nature and depend to a similar degree on nature for wellbeing.
However, our research also shows that a majority are considering voting differently at the upcoming election and will be swayed by political parties’ environmental policies. In other words, political parties who outline ambitious plans to address the nature and climate crisis will be rewarded for doing so by voters across the electorate.
The Wildlife Trusts are calling on all political parties to commit to a plan to halt and reverse nature’s catastrophic decline by:
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Bringing back the UK’s lost wildlife: protecting and restoring 30% of land and sea by 2030, stopping damage to Marine Protected Areas, and bringing back beavers.
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Ending river pollution and water scarcity: enforcing the law, halving nutrient pollution, and protecting chalk streams.
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Funding wildlife-friendly farming: increasing the budget for nature-friendly farming, halving pesticide use, and supporting farmers to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
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Enabling healthy communities: growing community-based health services, guaranteeing a right to a healthy natural environment, and supporting children to learn in and about nature.
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Tackling the climate emergency, reducing emissions while adapting to change, protecting blue carbon, and upgrading energy efficiency for homes.
Time is not on our side. There are just over 5 years until 2030, when the UK Government will be legally obligated under the Environment Act to have halted species decline – and trends are currently moving in the opposite direction.
We need to make sure politicians and political parties commit to a plan in their manifestos to meet the scale of the challenge to halt nature’s decline and halve emissions by the end of the decade.
On Saturday 22nd June we will be marching in London to call on UK politicians to show strong domestic and global nature and climate leadership.
This legal, peaceful, inclusive and family-friendly demonstration aims to be the biggest gathering of people for nature and climate that the UK has ever seen, and you can make the difference! Pledge to join us in calling for political parties to Restore Nature Now.
