We’re facing a nature and climate crisis. Millions of birds gone from our skies, nearly all our wildflower meadows lost, and a quarter of all our mammals at risk of extinction.
But it’s not too late! The People's Plan for Nature was produced earlier this year by a representative group of ordinary citizens who came together as the ‘People’s Assembly for Nature’. Their plan outlines a compelling roadmap to protect and restore our country's natural habitats and is supported by the RSPB, WWF, and the National Trust.
Particularly now when the Retained EU Law Bill is on the verge of becoming law. A Bill with the power to deliver the single biggest modification of environmental law in the UK in recent history. Many of the laws impacted are vital to nature’s recovery. They help improve the quality of our rivers and coasts, keep dangerous chemical use at bay, and protect some of our rarest and most important habitats and species.
We achieved a significant victory by securing the removal of the ‘sunset clause’, a dangerous cliff edge that could have seen environmental protections lost at the end of this year. However, a majority of MPs have twice (most recently on 12 June) voted against additional amendments that would have introduced a guarantee that environmental laws would not be weakened, and which would have strengthened parliamentary scrutiny.
The Bill continues to pass back and forth between the House of Commons and House of Lords, and we still have a chance to secure improvements. But given how MPs have voted so far, and with a General Election on the horizon, it’s right that we challenge them to say how they do intend to respond to the nature crisis. How will they, their fellow MPs, and all political parties, respond to the call to action in the People’s Plan for Nature and integrate its recommendations into their plans to protect and restore the UK’s natural environment.
Please support our online action and call on your MP to make this ask of their party leaders.
They must act now to:
A special political event, the "Save Our Wild Isles Reception", will be taking place on 3 July at Westminster Abbey Gardens. This provides an excellent opportunity for MPs to learn more about the campaign and the plan, and engage with business and community leaders who are committed to saving our natural habitats. If you support our action, you will also be encouraging your MP to attend.