Nature charities across the UK are urging our governments to begin a ‘new era for nature’, following the confirmation by the UN today on the failure of the international community and UK governments in a decade-long effort to halt environmental decline. Environmental charities in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are writing to the leaders of their national governments today to call for the UK to lead the charge for new targets and concerted global action to reverse our nature crisis.
The Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, published today by the United Nations, has confirmed that the international community will fail its global targets to reverse losses in wildlife and the natural environment by the end of 2020.[1] This announcement follows hot on the heels of research from RSPB which highlights that the UK’s performance on restoring nature may be considerably worse than previously thought, and WWF and Zoological Society of London (ZSL)’s Living Planet Report 2020 which shows animal populations globally have plunged by 68% in the last 50 years.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being urged to commit to a new UK era for nature by announcing at the UN biodiversity summit on 30 September that the government will: protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030, and support a new global target and action plan to restore species and habitats with equivalent targets to be set in UK law under the Environment Bill.
Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link said: ‘The failure to meet these targets is a wake-up call for nature that our leaders must answer before it is too late. Sometimes losses have been sudden, sometimes they have been slow, but the unassailable trend in our wildlife populations is down. Unless we turn things around, we face economic and environmental catastrophe. We are calling on the Prime Minister to help start a new era for wildlife, fighting for a strong global target and worldwide action, matched with a clear legal commitment, increased investment and ambitious programmes to restore nature at home.'
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Posted On: 15/09/2020