To coincide with the COP15 summit on biodiversity, 47 organisations have signed a letter to the Prime Minister, calling on the government to accept amendments in the Levelling Up Bill for greater nature protection in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England.
This comes after new figures show that some areas of National Parks in England are in a worse state for nature than the national average. National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty cover 25% of England and over half of the country’s most important nature sites. The letter to the Prime Minister therefore makes clear that without the legal reforms tabled, the country will fail to meet its nature goals.
Amendments have been tabled to the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill by Gary Streeter MP which would deliver key recommendations from the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes in England. This would allow National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to do more for nature and climate, helping the government reach their commitments on net zero, to halt and reverse the decline in the abundance of species and to protect 30% of our land and sea by 2030.
But the government has failed to back up their words with action.
Despite the legislative amendments being proposed by the Government earlier in the year, and the Glover Review being well over-due for implementation, we still have not had signs that the latest Ministers will take the opportunity and adopt the amendments to the Levelling Up Bill.
Therefore 47 environmental and recreation organisations, led by Campaign for National Parks and Wildlife and Countryside Link, have sent a letter to the Prime Minister, calling on him to take a step forward for nature at home while the UK makes the case for an ambitious global approach at COP15 this week. Other signatories to the letter include Greenpeace, RSPB, YHA, the Woodland Trust, the National Trust, Cycling UK, Muslim Hikers and Mosaic Outdoors.
More on:
Posted On: 08/12/2022