We need nature’s recovery in law!

Thank you to everyone who was able to contact their MP in January, at very short notice, to ask them to attend the report stage and third reading of the Environment Bill. Over 50 MPs were contacted by BCT supporters. Although the Environment Bill amendments were debated and voted on, the government put the Bill on hold again until after the next Queens speech, so it is unlikely to return to the House of Commons before May 2021.

Although the decision to delay has been frustrating it also gives us another opportunity to make sure the Environment Bill is fit for purpose. Today we are joining forces with many other organisations to make our voices heard and we are asking you to please help.

We need a legal guarantee that the Government will live up to its promise and protect nature. To sign our petition for a new law to stop nature’s destruction by 2030:

Nature is in trouble. In the UK, almost half of our wildlife is in long term decline, 1 in 4 mammals, including several bat species (SEE HERE), face extinction and none of our rivers or lakes are in good health. We are one of the most nature-deprived countries in the world.

We need urgent action from Government. The Prime Minister has been calling on world leaders to agree to stop nature’s decline by 2030. In just a few months, governments will come together to agree a global target to stop our natural world from being destroyed. But there’s no legal commitment to do the same here at home.

Promises to protect nature are meaningless if they’re not put into law. Time and again, we’ve seen that positive words come to nothing unless they’re backed up in law. However, the Environment Bill, currently making its way through Parliament doesn’t guarantee action. In fact, no targets would be binding until 2038 - almost a decade later than the Government is demanding from other countries.

There must be a legally binding target for nature's recovery across the country. We have a once in a generation chance to put the weight of the law behind protecting nature and set a global lead. We’re working with Parliamentarians to strengthen the Environment Bill with a State of Nature target, which would legally bind the Government to reverse wildlife declines by 2030.

We’ve joined forced with many other organisations (see HERE) and have written to the Prime Minister and now we’re asking you to add your voice. Please sign our petition to the Prime Minister calling for a new legal guarantee for nature’s recovery by 2030. We need as many people as possible to show that we want our wildlife to be better protected and for the Government to legally commit to turn the tide for nature by 2030.

It’s vital that we improve the Environment Bill to protect wildlife at home and ensure we can strike a strong global deal for nature during key international talks this year, which the UK is hosting.

Thank you for supporting stronger protections for nature!

To get involved with future campaigns please sign up to our email list here: http://eepurl.com/gGqJDH

Further information from Wildlife and Countryside Link: https://www.wcl.org.uk/state-of-nature-campaign.asp