Public calls for urgent action on growing UK nature crisis  

The first ever UK-wide citizens’ assembly for nature has published its recommendations for renewing and protecting the natural environment, calling for urgent action from every part of society.

The People’s Plan for Nature highlights how decades of damage have pushed wildlife and habitats to the brink of collapse, and says if we are to preserve valuable ecosystems there must be “no more harm to nature”.

According to the report, 38m birds have vanished in the last 50 years, while 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the Second World War. Experts believe that only 5% of UK land is effectively protected for nature.

The plan – driven by the WWF, the RSPB and National Trust – is the result of nearly 30,000 responses to a call for ideas and stories from the public on the importance of nature. Also, a representative group of 103 people with different backgrounds, values and experiences were randomly chosen to form the People’s Assembly for Nature, which came together over four weekends between November and February.

During these meetings, the assembly’s members listened to evidence on UK nature restoration, food systems, mental health, access to nature, fishing and agriculture from a range of world-leading experts including academics, farmers, supermarkets, local authorities and water companies.

Urgent and immediate action

Based on these issues, they then created the People’s Plan for Nature, which sets out urgent and immediate action that is needed to protect and renew the natural environment.

Among the top calls to action are:

• All commercial and policy decisions must take into account potential impacts on nature;
• An overhaul of current farming subsidy systems to prioritise sustainable and nature-friendly farming; 
• Greater government accountability through a permanent Assembly for Nature made up of NGOs, industry and public expertise;
• Access to nature to be recognised as a human right;
• A universal quality standard label in supermarkets showing the source and nature impact of products to help consumers make nature-friendly choices; and
• The urgent restoration of all rivers and wetlands, investment in wastewater infrastructure, and the establishment of Marine National Parks.

The National Trust, RSPB and WWF will be responding in full to the assembly’s recommendations and are calling on governments, businesses, nature charities and community groups to consider, respond and act on the public’s plan.

Harry Bowell, director of land and nature at the National Trust, said that the organisation “warmly welcomes” the plan and sees it as a “landmark contribution” from the UK public to help nature renewal. “Everyone who cares about nature should read this document. The report is wide-ranging and the citizens set out calls to action for many different sectors to play their part in supporting nature’s recovery,” he said.

Everyone who cares about nature should read this document

The citizens’ assembly was run independently by Involve, an organisation that develops new ways to put people at the heart of decisions that affect their lives. Sarah Castell, chief executive officer of Involve, noted that the plan is an important step in ensuring public participation in decisions affecting our shared environment.

"The People’s Plan for Nature shows how the public can take a lead in tackling the big challenges of our time. A modern, healthy democracy needs to place people at the heart of decisions about our future,” she said. “Those in power should listen to their recommendations and take action."