Healthy wildlife and a thriving environment are the answer to many of the challenges we face today. The UK Government have set legally binding targets for nature's recovery and international climate commitments. However, recent announcements show a lack of ambition and action to meet these targets, and we remain concerned that future governments could weaken the laws that safeguard nature, water and food standards.
The most recent risk to environmental protections was the government proposal in the Levelling Up Bill which would axe rules on river pollution and 'Nutrient Neutrality' which requires housebuilders not to increase river pollution. The House of Lords rejected these amendments, following concerns raised by the Office for Environmental Protection and conservation organisations.
We need to reverse nature's decline - not make it even worse.
The 2023 State of Nature Report has shown that the UK – already classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries in the world – is continuing to allow nature to decline.
We are calling upon all political parties to commit to a plan to finally halt and reverse this trend. Their policies must be targeted towards species recovery, addressing water pollution, funding wildlife-friendly farming, enabling healthy communities, and tackling climate change.
We hold onto the fact that Ministers are now on the record at every turn with promises not to weaken environmental protections, and will challenge them to keep to these promises.Director of Policy & Public Affairs, The Wildlife Trusts
How you can help: step-by-step
Send a 'letter to the Editor'
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Send your MP a postcard
Ask your MP to #DefendNature by sending a postcard that will land on the doormat of their office.
Write to your MP
- Find your MP here
- Send your letter by post or email to your MP
Write to your local Councillor*
(*This impacts where you live and they need to speak up too!)
- Find your Councillor here
- Send your letter by post or email to your Councillor.
Tweet your MP
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Why are The Wildlife Trusts and other environmental charities so concerned?
No political Party has yet set out the ambitious action needed to set the UK’s nature on the path to recovery, despite the environment being a key issue for many voters. This is why The Wildlife Trusts and other environmental charities have come together to set out what needs to happen.
In the last year we have seen repeated government attacks on nature despite promises to the contrary. The latest proposals place fragile rivers and our natural world at greater risk through a relaxation of pollution laws. As the impacts of the nature and climate crises worsen, it is clear that any incoming government will be increasingly judged on their environmental record - and expectations from voters remain high.
You can read more about these issues in our blogs shared below.
We will never stop campaigning for the natural world.
British Sugar fails to deliver on 3 year plan to end use of banned neonicotinoids
Time’s up! Minister urged to help sugar farmers go neonic-free and honour ban as deadline approaches to end reliance on bee-harming…
Devastating declines must put nature at the top of the political agenda
Devon Wildlife Trust and The Wildlife Trusts movement give politicians five priorities to support nature recovery
Homes and nature – no contest
Once again nature is pitched as the enemy to progress. But is it really to blame? And are there not ways to meet the housing demand and…
Nutrient neutrality works: pollution rules don't block housebuilding
The Government wants to ditch laws that require housebuilders not to harm rivers. But we know these rules work – they enable houses to…
Rivers in crisis: the polluter is supposed to pay – but now the taxpayer will pick up the bill instead
As the Government announces its plans to weaken the rules that prevent pollution of some of our most important wildlife sites, Ali Morse…
Retained EU Law Bill becomes law
For almost a year, we’ve been campaigning to protect environmental laws which were at risk from the UK government’s Retained EU Law (…