The government must halt and reverse
the UK's unprecedented environmental crisis and depleting natural
environment, or risk missing key climate targets, says
IPPR.
The country ranks among the bottom 10
per cent globally for biodiversity, with only 53 per cent of its
biodiversity remaining. Alarmingly, 41 per cent of UK species
have experienced significant population decline since
1970.
The situation underscores the urgent
need for government-led action to halt the decline and restore
the nation's ecosystems.
The UK government has committed to
protecting nature in 30 per cent of the country's land and sea by
2030. However, with fewer than six years left to meet this
critical target and less than 3 per cent of England's land and 8
per cent of its seas effectively protected, the urgency for
transformative action has never been
clearer.
The degradation of biodiversity and
ecosystems is intricately linked to the UK's climate goals. As
the nation grapples with the dual crises of climate change and
ecological decline, restoring nature is essential for reducing
emissions, sequestering carbon, and meeting climate
targets.
Protecting and restoring nature has a
strong progressive legacy in the UK. From the campaigns that led
to the creation of National Parks to the conservation areas
established in the mid-20th century, nature has been at the heart
of social progress. The new government has the opportunity to
build on this history by embedding nature recovery into a bold
agenda for national renewal.
IPPR has developed a blueprint for the
government to restore and protect nature. The plan
includes:
-
Tackling sewage
polluters, by
developing legally binding targets and strengthening powers for
the Environment Agency to enforce sanctions
-
Delivering a fair transition for
farmers,
through additional funding for environmentally
friendly farming in England
-
Legislating for a right to
roam, expanding rights
of responsible access to the English
countryside
Joseph Evans, researcher at
IPPR, said:
“Britain's natural landscapes are
a source of pride for many of us, but the UK's nature is in a
dire state: biodiversity is failing, species are declining and
many people simply don't have reasonable access to green spaces.
The new government has an opportunity to reverse nature's decline
and drive progressive change around the country. Restoring nature
must be a cornerstone of the government's national renewal
strategy.”
