A group of The Wildlife Trusts’ youth ambassadors handed-in a 60,000-strong petition, and over 10,000 personal views shared by the public to Downing Street yesterday (29 June), all calling for more ambitious Government targets to halt and reverse nature’s decline.
The Government will soon set legally binding targets for nature’s recovery. This is urgently needed because the UK is one of the most wildlife-depleted countries in the world and habitat loss and degradation continue to blight people’s lives and affect nature’s ability to store carbon.
The long-term target currently being proposed for nature’s recovery aims to have just 10% more nature in 2042 than 2030 levels – by which time the state of our natural world is expected to have declined even further. The Wildlife Trusts, including Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, have written a letter to the Prime Minister expressing serious concern and calling instead for a 20% increase on 2022 levels.
The Wildlife Trusts made it easy for people to respond to the recent public consultation on the Environment Act targets, because people found it hard to navigate. Over 60,000 people backed The Wildlife Trust’s view that the target is far too low.
Young people will suffer most from the consequences of continued nature declines in their lives. The youth ambassadors handing in the petition today include author, activist and The Wildlife Trusts’ ambassador, Mya-Rose Craig, and nine other youth ambassadors from different parts of the UK.
Jo Smith, CEO of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: “At a time when we need to trigger a decade of nature restoration by setting high standards for the proposed Environment Act targets, current proposals mean that the UK Government’s clear commitment to leave the environment in a better state of the next generation is in jeopardy. We’re so pleased that so many people have signed our petition calling for stronger targets to put nature on the path to recovery before the situation gets even worse and look forward to hearing the Government’s response.”
Lily Leatherland, 16, youth ambassador for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, added: “I am beyond excited and grateful to represent the many people who have given their comments. I pray that those at Downing Street will hear our opinions, demands and concerns and take them seriously - as we owe it to Nature.”
Find out more about the Wildlife Trusts’ briefing on the Nature Recovery Green Paper and Environment Act target consultations here.