At the next election, nature needs us to be its voice – and we need to be loud. By including our five asks for nature in their election manifestos, political leaders can put nature and the climate on a path to recovery by 2030.
π° A pay rise for nature
Farmers have a massive role to play in helping to restore nature. Over 70% of land in England is farmed and those landscapes have the potential to be havens for plant and animal life whilst providing us with the food we need.
We need political parties to commit to a £6billion annual fund to support a green revolution for farming and land management. More funding will help to remove the pressure to manage land so intensively and encourage investment in nature-friendly farming and solutions to climate change.
π Make polluters pay
Many big parts of the UK’s economy, including finance, infrastructure, water, energy and food, all contribute to nature’s decline. Despite this, Governments are failing to make some of our biggest polluters pay, whilst leaving the public to pick up the tab for the damage.
We need to see Government make sure that big business has a legal requirement to pay for the harm they do to nature and set legal goals for natural creation and restoration based on a company’s environmental footprint. By making sure that big business plays its part in responding to the ecological emergency, we can deliver projects which support nature’s recovery at a national level.
ποΈ More space for nature
We often think of our national parks and protected areas as havens for nature. But the reality is quite different, with many of these places being in poor ecological condition.
Political parties must commit to reforming National Parks and protected areas and make it easier for more public land to be managed in a way which protects nature, enhances the environment and provides good greenspaces for people.
π€ A National Nature Service
If the UK wants to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 and to support nature then we need to see investment in people to deliver that change. Right now however, government investment in jobs in nature recovery, restoration and landscape management is falling short.
A 'National Nature Service' would create opportunities for thousands of people across the UK, including marginalised groups, to receive practical skills, training and a fair wage whilst supporting nature’s recovery.
π³ A right to a healthy environment
Our health is shaped by the world around us; from good-quality homes, to stable jobs, social connections, and neighbourhoods with green space and clean air and water. The nature crisis threatens everyone's health and is cutting lives short, especially for the most economically disadvantaged.
We want to see all Parties support the introduction of a new 'Environmental Rights' Act, creating a right to a clean and healthy environment, see nature become part of the decision-making process and empower members of the public to challenge those who threaten those rights.