A new poll  reveals how badly people think all main parties are faring on tackling the nature and climate crises. It reveals that a majority of the public think the main parties are doing poorly on river pollution (78%), nature loss (71%), climate change (69%), ensuring communities can benefit from nature (65%), and supporting sustainable food production (63%).

And yet the poll shows environmental issues are a key concern for voters:

• 79% think that nature is important for our well-being and economic prosperity
• Most people (59%) consider environmental issues to be at least as important as other issues facing the country
• 39% will vote based on environmental policies offered by candidates

The poll was conducted by Savanta and commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts: 2,221 UK adults were interviewed between 31 May and 2 June 2024.

Stephen Trotter, CEO, Cumbria Wildlife Trust said:

“People know that our natural world is in crisis and that this disaster has consequences for us all. In Cumbria only 15% of land is currently managed or protected for wildlife and only one fifth of this protected land is in a good condition for wildlife. In the North West of England, 41% of the Irish Sea is ‘protected’ but only 5% has any sort of protection measures, and 0% is fully protected. 30% is the bare minimum that nature needs to start recovering but we are far short of this and need your help to turn things around.

“Nature is in trouble and this has repercussions for our health, our ability to produce food, and our capacity to withstand climate breakdown and the increased risk of floods, drought and heat. We’re appealing to all candidates and all political parties to champion the greatest challenge of our times and show the leadership that people want to see – it’s vital for them to pledge to take action and put restoring nature at the heart of their campaigns in Cumbria and at a national level.”

The new poll also asked people to identify environmental priorities for the next government. The top five were:

1. Ensuring nature is properly protected in our seas (50%)
2. Halving pollution in rivers from sewage and farming by 2030 (45%)
3. Upgrading the energy efficiency of homes to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions (38%)
4. Helping farmers reduce emissions and adapt to climate change by embedding adaptation into farm payment schemes (37%)
5. Providing more money to support nature-friendly farming (37%)

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is calling on all political parties to commit to halting and reversing the loss of nature by:

• Tackling the climate emergency, reducing emissions while adapting to change, protecting blue carbon in our seas, and upgrading energy efficiency for homes.

• Bringing back the UK’s lost wildlife: protecting and restoring 30% of land and sea by 2030, stopping damage to Marine Protected Areas, and bringing back beavers.

• Ending river pollution and water scarcity: enforcing the law, halving nutrient pollution, and protecting chalk streams.

• Funding wildlife-friendly farming: increasing the budget for nature-friendly farming, halving pesticide use, and supporting farmers to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

• Enabling healthy communities: growing community-based health services, guaranteeing a right to a healthy natural environment, and supporting children to learn in and about nature.

There are just over five years until 2030 when the UK Government will be legally obliged under the Environment Act to have halted species decline – but trends are currently moving in the opposite direction. 

How you can speak up for nature during the General Election campaign:

• Email your Prospective Parliamentary Candidate to tell them that nature matters
• Come along to a local hustings event - hurry, the deadline for applying for tickets/submitting questions is soon!
• Join us at the Restore Nature Now rally in London