Research shows only 12% of local authorities have an action plan for nature recovery - Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust is urging local authorities to declare a nature emergency and take urgent steps to restore severely depleted wildlife and green spaces in their communities.

With UK wildlife species declining by an average of 19% since 1970 and nearly one in six at risk of extinction, the charity warns that urgent action is needed for nature.

The Trust has launched a new Nature Emergency Scorecard which reveals that despite the UK's nations being among the most nature-depleted countries in the world, just 25% of local authorities have declared a nature emergency and only 12% have a nature action plan.

Announcing the launch, Louise Wilkinson, the Woodland Trust's nature recovery lead, said:

"Local authorities - as landowners, policy makers and local champions - have a unique role in driving the change that nature urgently needs. Many are not doing enough, and a nature emergency declaration is a vital first step in acknowledging the challenge and turning it into nature recovery on the ground. By putting nature on an emergency footing, councils can take meaningful steps to reverse decades of decline and create healthier, greener communities for people and wildlife alike."

The Trust is calling on councils to identify land for habitat restoration and plant trees to improve tree equity. Studies show higher levels of tree cover directly relate to better health outcomes. For local authorities facing severe financial challenges, the Trust proposes allowing wildflowers and grass to grow on public land, which costs nothing but provides vital support for struggling wildlife.

The Trust also urges councils to encourage developers to play their part by committing to 30% tree canopy cover on new housing estates or retrofitting trees in areas with less than 16% cover.