Nature 2030

Nature in the UK is in trouble. 

The UK is one of the worst countries in the world for nature loss, with over one in seven native species facing extinction and more than 40% of species having declined over the last 50 years.  

The importance of nature continues to be overlooked by decision-makers, with the UK meeting only three out of 10 global targets for nature in 2020. 

Last year, the UK signed an international deal to reverse the decline of wildlife by 2030.

There are just 7 years left to turn this pledge into reality, otherwise we risk the loss of more treasured habitats and wildlife, continued air and water pollution and loss of nature will harm our health and prosperity. For the climate, there is no chance of meeting net-zero carbon emissions without restoring nature.

Nature cannot wait any longer! We need ambitious policies to help wildlife recover, before it's too late.  

Demand change! Add your name to our letter to Party leaders demanding action.

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 issues for many voters.  This is why we have come together to set out what needs to happen. 
 
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.

2030 is an incredibly important date for the natural world. In 2020 the UK committed to a global agreement to restore 30% of land and seas and halt the loss of nature by 2030.

In England, the Westminster Government backed up that promise by creating a legal duty to stop the decline of species by the end of the next Parliament. 

But time is running out. There is a real risk those targets will be missed. Only 3.2% of England’s land and 8% of England’s seas are protected and managed for nature so far. 

Without real commitments to restoring and investing in a healthy and safe environment, everything could be put at risk.

Our Nature 2030 plan was developed by Wildlife and Countryside Link members, the UK’s largest environmental and nature coalition, bringing together organisations committed to securing a future for nature in the UK. 

You can find out more about Link members here.

Anyone can support this campaign, wherever you are based. The Nature 2030 asks are directed at the UK Government, but we know that many of the policies we’ve set out will be the responsibility of the Westminster government and devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

We want to see the UK Government to commit to deliver our asks in England and work closely with the devolved Governments to secure nature’s recovery across the UK. 

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.

💰 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. 

🏭 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. 

 🏞️ 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.  

🤝 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. 

🌳 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. 

Dear Party Leaders,

We are writing to ask you to commit to five specific policies needed to save nature.

The Westminster Government is required by law to halt the decline of wildlife by 2030—the end of the next Parliament—but the destruction of nature continues unabated. Thousands of threatened species continue to decline, the air and water remain unhealthy and polluted, habitats continue to be lost.

On the current trajectory, your own climate and nature advisors have warned there is no realistic prospect of meeting the target, creating a better environment, and stopping dangerous climate change. We need decisive action now.

You have seen the huge demand for environmental action, from outrage at the sewage scandal to the outpouring of love for nature that came with Sir David Attenborough’s Wild Isles series. 

We know what needs to be done. With a General Election around the corner, we will not be satisfied with vague promises that your party cares for the environment. We need firm commitments from all parties to:

1. Double the nature-friendly farming budget to fund a more ambitious transition to wildlife-friendly farming and large-scale nature restoration.
2. A Nature Recovery Obligation to make big businesses plan for and invest in nature’s recovery.
3. A rapid delivery plan to protect and manage 30% of the land and sea for nature.
4. A National Nature Service, delivering wide scale habitat restoration and creating thousands of green jobs.
5. A legal right to a healthy environment, giving everyone the right to access clean water, clean air and nature.

No political party has yet set out a convincing plan to reverse nature’s decline, despite the tremendous benefits that success would bring for economic prosperity, public health and the future of our planet. 

To be credible on the environment before the next election, we urge you to commit to these “Nature 2030” proposals without delay.