Ahead of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17, The Wildlife Trusts warn urgent action is needed to get the UK’s nature commitments back on track
The UK is off track to meet its global commitments to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, according to a new report from The Wildlife Trusts published on 1 October. The report, Runway to Recovery— Fixing Nature in the UK, warns that continued delay risks both environmental recovery and national security and that urgent action is needed to close the gap between ambition and delivery on the ground.
Published ahead of COP17, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference taking place in Armenia later this month (19–30 October), the analysis comes as the summit prepares to deliver the first major global stocktake of progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), agreed by 196 countries – and actively championed by the UK Government – in 2022.
In assessing the UK’s progress against these goals, the report highlights previous findings (1) that, while some progress has been made, the UK is currently on track to meet just three of the framework’s 23 targets by 2030, with insufficient progress on the remaining 20. It warns that, with just over three years remaining, there is little time to lose.
The report shows that many of the policies and plans needed to help nature recover are already in place or being developed. However, these will only make the necessary difference if they are fully implemented with sufficient funding, effective action and clear accountability for delivering results.
Zoe Quiroz Cullen, head of climate and international policy at The Wildlife Trusts, says:
“The UK may have made important commitments to protect and restore nature, but we are not seeing action at the scale or speed needed to deliver them. As one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, now is the time to accelerate and turn commitments into urgent and sustained action.
“Governments across the UK must recognise that the stakes go far beyond meeting environmental targets, and that climate change and nature loss cannot be treated as separate or future crises. Healthy rivers, soils, wetlands, woodlands and seas underpin our food and water security, support healthy communities and both tackle and build resilience to the impacts of a changing climate. Nature must therefore be treated as essential national infrastructure and become a priority if we are to secure our future prosperity, security and resilience. The opportunity to restore nature is huge and the cost of inaction is high – and rising.”
The report highlights multiple areas where urgent action is needed, including delivering the Government’s commitment to effectively protect and manage 30% of land, freshwater and sea for nature by 2030. It stresses that this must lead to real improvements for wildlife and the environment including:
- Restoring and reconnecting habitats, creating healthier and more diverse places for nature and people to thrive
- Reducing direct pressures such as pollution, unsustainable development and damaging fishing practices
- Using nature to help tackle climate change and build resilience of communities to its impacts, such as flooding, drought and extreme heat
- Recognising the UK’s dependence on the health of critical ecosystems internationally and honouring its commitments to support developing countries to protect and restore these vital land and seascapes.
In England, a plan for protecting 30% of land is in place, but the report outlines how key details on its implementation and how progress will be measured, are still missing. At sea, despite a network of Marine Protected Areas, damaging activities such as bottom trawling continue within these sites and there is no clear plan for how they will be effectively managed.
Delivering these commitments will also depend on action at every level of government. According to The Wildlife Trusts, devolution presents a great opportunity to accelerate progress, but national, devolved, regional and local governments must have the resources and support they need to deliver nature recovery. Doing so at scale will involve working with communities, land managers, businesses and civil society, with joined-up action essential to turn national commitments into lasting improvements for nature, climate and people.
While significant challenges remain, the report also highlights areas of progress, including the publication of Local Nature Recovery Strategies across the majority of England and the ban on sand eel fishing in the English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters.
Zoe Quiroz Cullen continues:
“Effective implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework requires a genuine whole-of-society approach, where all sectors of society, government and the economy are part of the solution – and benefit from – nature recovery. From restoring peatlands that store carbon and help clean and manage water, to protecting and creating more wild spaces in towns and cities, we can see how nature recovery can deliver benefits for wildlife, climate and people. The challenge now is to scale up this action across the UK and beyond.”
Read the full report, Runway to Recovery— Fixing Nature in the UK here: https://wtru.st/COP17-GBF
