The Government has today published two major documents on nature protections and environmental targets – but The Wildlife Trusts say they will fail to stop nature’s decline, let alone enable it to recover.

The publications are:

· Nature Recovery Green Paper: A consultation outlining changes to protections for sites and species, and details on the Government’s proposed plans for delivering 30% protection of land and seas in England by 2030

· Proposed Environment Act targets: This consultation is on the proposed long-term legally binding targets for nature, water, waste and air quality – a requirement under the Environment Act

Nature Recovery Green Paper

The Government’s Nature Recovery Green Paper consults on proposed changes to protected sites for nature, including those protected through the Habitats Regulations. The protected site network helps to ensure many of England’s most important sites for nature have long-term protection and good management.

Strengthening protections for our most valuable sites is crucial if the Government wants to meet its legally binding target to halt the decline in nature. Nationally important protected sites for nature such as Swanscombe Peninsula, which is home to many threatened species, are still at risk from inappropriate developments. To meet its commitments on nature’s recovery, the Government must ensure that sites such as these have stronger protections to prevent this.

The Green Paper also proposes giving the Secretary of State sole power over which sites should be designated for nature. This risks opening the door to those pushing for existing protections to be weakened – and draws uncertainty over whether sites such as Swanscombe would have been designated in the first place. Giving Ministers the power to designate sites should instead sit alongside the ability for experts such as Natural England to continue their role in doing so – speeding up the protection of more sites.

It is welcome to see a proposal for a new Nature Recovery designation in the Green Paper. To ensure this helps contribute to the Government’s mission to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, this designation must deliver robust protections to create more space for nature.

On the Nature Recovery Green Paper, Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, The Wildlife Trusts said:

“If it’s sincere in its ambition to reverse wildlife decline and restore nature, the Government must focus on improving the protections for our most important wild places for nature and set a target to restore them to good condition. It’s absolutely vital that it resists calls to lift the rules that protect our most important wild places. Currently, nationally important protected sites for nature such as Swanscombe Peninsula are still threated with inappropriate developments which increase flood risk, put wildlife at risk and set us back in the fight against climate change. The Nature Green Paper must ensure these special places have stronger protections and that decisions to designate them are led by the science. Sites of Special Scientific Interest should not become Sites of Political Convenience.”

Environment Act targets

The set of environmental targets announced today intends to provide the legal foundation for nature’s recovery – requiring action across Government to turn the tide on nature’s decline.

While we welcome the Government’s target to halt the decline of nature by 2030, the targets will not meet the promise of nature’s recovery - leaving the Government’s clear commitment to leave the environment in a better state for the next generation in jeopardy. The long-term target for nature aims to have just 10% more nature in 2042 than 2030 levels, when the state of our natural world is expected to have declined further.

Significant gaps also remain in the proposed targets – including no target on the condition of our protected sites – with barely a third are in good condition – or on the overall state of the water environment – with 0% of river, lakes and streams currently classed as in good health in England.

On the environmental targets, Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, The Wildlife Trusts said:

“Over the past five decades, our wildlife has dramatically declined. The situation is dire: one in ten species in England is on the brink of extinction and we now live in one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan said they would hand over the environment in a better state for the next generation – but the reality is that the new target they have set is so unambitious that it could leave us with even less wildlife in 20 years’ time than we have now. Instead of setting themselves up to fail, the Government must keep to their word and, as a minimum, set a target that will clearly deliver more wildlife than we currently have.”