The story:
A letter signed by more than 50 wildlife experts, politicians and celebrities has been sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding tougher action to prevent nature loss in the UK. The group include wildlife broadcaster Steve Backshall, Chris Packham and the Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson. It also calls for the UK to become the first country to set legally binding targets for nature recovery.
Given that half of UK wildlife has decreased since 1970 and one in seven species is currently at risk of extinction, this letter encourages a more ambitious and immediate response to the current environmental challenges facing the country.
Specifically, the letter calls for a pledge the Government recently made to protect 30 percent of land and sea for nature by 2030 to be enshrined in law. It also asserts that the Environment Bill, a recent bill redrawing sustainability rules after the UK’s departure from the EU, falls short of setting world-leading nature preservation targets.
Higginson says:
“While we are happy that the government is putting some focus on creating meaningful environmental regulations and sustainability goals, we also support the many wildlife experts who are encouraging these efforts to be written into law. This will ensure that they are treated with the utmost importance and legitimacy. We agree that setting ambitious targets for climate regulation is vital to preventing further damage to the wildlife of the UK. The UK’s independence from the EU also means we have the opportunity to be a global leader, setting binding targets that the rest of the world should look towards.”
-Audrey Martin, Intern