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Devastating wildlife declines highlight the need to put nature at the top of the political agenda

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust gives politicians five priorities to support nature recovery.

Today, leading wildlife organisations, including Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, published 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
  • 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

Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC), which is hosted by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, recently identified 133 species as ‘critically important’ in Wiltshire through their Critical Species Project, a pilot funded by Natural England through the Species Recovery Programme. These ranged from still common, but much declined species, such as hedgehogs and toads, to much scarcer species such as curlew and the Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

Duke of Burgundy abundance has declined by 35%

In the State of Nature Report, the Duke of Burgundy butterfly featured as an invertebrate species that has shown recovery in recent years. Despite a 35% decline in abundance between 1979 and 2021, the butterfly species has now been down-listed from Endangered to Vulnerable in Great Britain. This recovery is likely thanks to local habitat restoration projects, such as Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s ‘Taking Action for Insects’ project funded by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, and the Trust’s upcoming ‘Chalk Species Revival’ project, which will be delivered by the Wiltshire Chalk Partnership and funded by Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme. The project aims to support the recovery of five threatened insect species that rely on the wildflower rich chalk grasslands of Wiltshire, including the Duke of Burgundy found at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Morgans Hill nature reserve.

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:

Water vole

Water vole © Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

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.

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Otter in river

Luke Massey

End river pollution and water scarcity

With the UK among the worst countries in Europe for water quality, the next UK 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 chalk streams, and more wetlands should be created to tackle flood and drought.

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Buff-tailed bumblebee

Buff-tailed bumblebee © Vaughn Matthews 

Fund wildlife-friendly farming

The destruction of nature and impacts of climate change are the biggest threats to food security in the UK. The report shows that the range of insects that eat species which damage food crops have declined by a massive 40% since the 70s, and species of arable land have shown strong declines. Most alarmingly, our once-common farmland birds - like the much-loved skylark - have declined by 57% in the last 50 years. However, conservation efforts by organisations such as Wiltshire Wildlife Trust can reverse these alarming declines. 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 increase to at least £4.4 billion a year.

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Children and families

Helena Dolby for Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust

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. The next UK Government must support the creation of more green spaces in neighbourhoods, fund and integrate green prescribing into community-based health services and enable all children to access outdoor learning opportunities.

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A shaft of sunlight filters through the canopy of a UK rainforest, lighting up a vibrant green patch of moss growing on a piece of dead wood

Deadwood and moss in a UK rainforest © Ben Porter

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.

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Wiltshire is famous for its sweeping chalk grasslands and globally rare chalk streams. Our precious chalk streams are a lifeline for threatened wildlife like water voles, which have suffered a 47% decline in abundance in England between 1998 and 2016.

Wiltshire’s wild places and wildlife are under threat from pollution, habitat loss and our changing climate. However, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is working with nature-friendly farmers, like the Wylye Valley Farmers, to save our chalk streams and rescue iconic Wiltshire species like corn buntings and stone curlew. Together, we have the opportunity to achieve a Wilder Wiltshire, clean up our rivers and bring abundant nature back into our farmed landscape.

However, unlocking the huge opportunities for nature-friendly farming and finance relies on strong and sustained Government leadership. There is no time to play politics with nature and the climate in a way that takes everyone backwards. Nature recovery is crucial for our health and wellbeing, as well as the resilience of our farming system and the stability of our climate, and it’s up to our elected representatives to ensure that is reflected in policies ahead of the next election.
Joanna Lewis
CEO of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
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.
Craig Bennett
Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts

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

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