New research reveals huge public support for putting nature at the heart of Coronavirus recovery plans

New research reveals huge public support for putting nature at the heart of Coronavirus recovery plans - RSPB

RSPB calls on England's City and Metro Mayors to lead green recovery from Covid-19, as new survey shows overwhelming public support for protecting and investing in nature

New figures released by the RSPB reveal

Strong public opposition to Government reducing spending on nature or putting less emphasis on protecting nature;
People see access to nature as important for health and wellbeing during and in recovery from the Coronavirus crisis;
Potential inequalities in access to nature between high and low-income households, and between people in urban and rural areas;
4 out of 5 people in England (84%) support the suggestion that Government should increase the number of accessible nature-rich areas in the UK;
4 out of 5 people in England (80%) oppose the idea of Government reducing spending on nature;
3 out of 4 people in England (76%) support the suggestion that nature could contribute to economic recovery in the UK.

The RSPB has written to England’s City and Metro Mayors asking them to listen to the people and build back better by putting nature at the heart of their recovery plans.

The UK’s largest nature conservation organisation, the RSPB, today called on the elected leaders of England’s biggest cities and most populous metropolitan areas to listen to the public and put nature at the heart of plans for a green recovery from the Coronavirus crisis.

The letter to the country’s City and Metro Mayors accompanied the charity’s publication of a report on the results of a recent YouGov poll that asked people about their views on the importance of nature both during, and in our recovery from, the pandemic.

The report reveals that nature and access to natural greenspace have been seen as important for people’s health and wellbeing since the Coronavirus crisis began, and that there is overwhelming public support for protecting and investing in nature and increasing accessible natural greenspace as part of our recovery from Coronavirus.

It also points to inequalities in access to nature between those in the highest and lowest income households, and between households in urban and rural areas, suggesting the impact of the Coronavirus crisis has not fallen equally across society.