Today, leading wildlife organisations, including Cumbria Wildlife Trust, publish a landmark State of Nature 2023 report. It shows that nature is continuing to decline at an alarming rate across the UK, which is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

The State of Nature 2023 report shows:

• One in six species is now at risk of being lost from Great Britain (up from 1 in 7 identified in the last report in 2019)
• The wildlife studied has, on average, declined by 19% since monitoring began in 1970
• Most important habitats are in poor condition, though restoration projects have clear benefits for nature, people and adapting to climate change

People’s concern about nature loss, climate change and degraded wild places is a significant voting issue. The Wildlife Trusts are calling on politicians of all parties to commit to an ambitious programme of policies to support nature’s recovery.

In view of the nature crisis, The Wildlife Trusts have identified five priorities for politicians ahead of the next general election:

• Bring back the UK’s lost wildlife

The next UK Government must work across departments to put nature into recovery by protecting and restoring at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Beavers should be in every county, a nature recovery network should join up wild places, and damaging fishing practices – such as bottom trawling – must be banned.

• End river pollution and water scarcity

With the UK among the worst countries in Europe for water quality, the next Government must sufficiently fund enforcement agencies to do their job. By 2030, nutrient pollution from farming, sewage and development must be halved, there must be stronger protections for streams and rivers - and more wetlands should be created to tackle flood and drought and provide more wildlife habitat.  We need to see urgent action and investment to cut pollution in Windermere, England’s most iconic lake.

• Fund wildlife-friendly farming

The destruction of nature and impacts of climate change are the biggest threats to food security in the UK. Farmers must be supported and incentivised to help wildlife recover by creating more space for nature, significantly reducing pollution, and halving harm from pesticides by 2030. The budget for nature-friendly farming should be doubled to at least £6 billion a year to reward farmers properly for doing the right thing.

• Enable healthy communities

More than a third of the population – nearly 9.5 million households in England – are unable to access green places near their home.  Government must support the creation of more greenspace in neighbourhoods, fund and integrate green prescribing into community-based health services and enable all children to access outdoor learning opportunities. Here in Cumbria, many children in West and North Cumbria can see the Lake District from their school playground but never get the chance to go there.

• Tackle the climate emergency by protecting and restoring natural habitats

Nature can make a huge contribution to achieving net-zero targets if habitats are restored because peatlands, woodlands, and other wild places store carbon. Additionally, the next UK Government must integrate climate adaptation strategies across all departments, create a nature recovery network to help wildlife adapt to change, protect blue carbon stores from damage, and invest in energy efficiency.

Stephen Trotter, Chief Executive of Cumbria Wildlife Trust said:

“Unlike much of England, Cumbria still has some wonderful wildlife, especially in some of its network of nature reserves.  But sadly, even here wildlife and wild places are under threat from changing land-use, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species and the changing climate.

"We’ve already lost some wildlife species from the county - most recently a moorland bird called the twite - and many more once common species are in decline to the point where they’re only found on nature reserves. The Irish Sea and coast has been damaged by human activities such as trawling and pollution, causing a loss of marine wildlife as well as carbon from wild habitats. Only 5% of our precious Irish Sea has any sort of protection measures, and none of it is fully protected.

“On land, only 15% of Cumbria is currently managed for wildlife and only one fifth of this is protected land is in a good condition for wildlife.  This simply isn’t enough when the UK has committed to the international goal of having 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

"We desperately need more space for nature.  We need to bring back and help wildlife recover, as well as help nature to adapt to the climate change that is already with us.

"A healthy natural environment is the foundation for our economy and for the health, wealth and wellbeing of local communities.  If we want to create healthier, happier, and more prosperous communities, we need to put wildlife and habitats back where they’ve been lost. 

"This has to be an urgent priority and it's vital that we see clear policies to tackle the wildlife crisis and climate emergency ahead of the next General Election.”

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“The State of Nature report is a stark reminder that politicians must not let nature drop down the agenda – there is far too much at stake. We desperately need better policies that fund nature-friendly farming properly, end the poisoning of lakes and rivers, and create larger wild and more natural areas – including in towns and cities.

“This next parliament is the most important in my lifetime for nature and climate action. The clock is ticking towards the 2030 deadline by which point the UK Government has committed to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature and to halve the risks posed by pesticides. Nature recovery is fundamental to tackling climate change and improving people’s lives – history will not be kind to politicians that ignore this truth.”

Further details of top five priorities highlighted by The Wildlife Trusts are available here.