Ask for a #wilderfuture

Our natural world is in deep trouble. We’re facing a climate and ecological emergency. Wildlife is in serious decline, in ever more isolated pockets, and the UK has become one of the most nature-depleted nations in the world.

But momentum for change is growing rapidly. Public concern for the environment is higher than ever and thousands of people have been calling on government to stand up for nature and tackle the climate crisis head on.

The general election is a golden opportunity to build on this momentum, but we need your help. We must all urge parties and their candidates to act now to turn things around.

 1. An ambitious Environment Act

If and when we leave the EU, we will need to replace important existing environmental protections. The Wildlife Trusts are calling for an ambitious Environment Bill to ensure the recovery of nature for the benefit of wildlife and our own health, wellbeing and prosperity. We are also calling for the resulting Environment Act to put a Nature Recovery Network in law.

2. An Agriculture Bill to drive nature's recovery

Intensive agriculture is one of the leading causes of wildlife declines across the country. Leaving the EU and the Common Agricultural Policy provides an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how public payments to farmers and land managers are distributed and used.  We urge for a rethink as to how the land is used and how land managers can be supported in delivering ‘public goods’ or ecosystem services.

3. Action to revive our marine environment

The Wildlife Trusts are also proposing a new UK Marine Strategy to change how we fish, how we extract resources, and how we manage planning at sea. Currently our seas are overfished and threatened by pollution, unsustainable exploitation and development, and the effects of climate change. We believe the UK could lead the world in marine management.

4. Action for development to deliver net gains for biodiversity

London is planned to accommodate over 65,000 new homes each year until 2041. We are calling for the appropriate planning policies and resources to ensure that developments are located in the least environmentally damaging places, and designed to deliver net gains for biodiversity as committed by the last Government in March this year.