Government must act now or fail nature and the nation
New report shows that this Government risks becoming the first to break the law by missing legally binding targets to restore nature. Born Free and members of Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), are urging the Prime Minister to act now to put nature’s recovery back on track following the latest analysis by the Government’s watchdog.
The latest report by the Office for Environmental Protection, published today, has shown that progress on environmental improvements remains far too slow, and that the self-imposed legally binding targets established by the government are likely to be missed. This puts economic growth, net zero, and public health at risk. What is missing now is political leadership and delivery at scale to determine whether this Government succeeds or fails to keep its international promises.
To meet its legal obligations and halt nature’s decline, the Government must urgently act on five priorities: wildlife-friendly farming, land use change, marine recovery, circular economy, and protected sites.
Protected sites on land and at sea must be properly managed and restored. Only a third of the UK’s protected sites are in good condition for nature, undermining national targets and the credibility of the protected site network.
Born Free’s International Policy Manager Adeline Lerambert said: “Protected sites are the backbone of a healthy nation, but only if they are genuinely protected. They should be safe havens for wildlife, upholding animal welfare and the ecosystems people rely on.
“When these sites are allowed to degrade, wildlife suffers and the consequences ripple out through polluted water, increased disease risk and weaker climate resilience. The Government must move beyond designation to real action on restoration and protection – it is not a ‘nice to have’, it is fundamental to meeting the law and securing the One Health foundations that connect people, animals and nature.”
Wildlife-friendly farming must be rapidly scaled up so public money supports food production alongside thriving wildlife, healthy soils and clean water. Current schemes are not yet delivering the pace or certainty farmers need to restore nature across the countryside, with farmland bird numbers declining by 11% since 2019.
With less than 3% of England managed well for nature, a change in land use planning is essential. Policies must be urgently introduced to guide how land is used for food, nature, climate, and development, while meeting the target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature. Without better land use planning, nature recovery will continue to lose out to short-term pressures, resulting in conflict and uncertainty rather than long-term solutions.
Healthy seas are fundamental to nature, climate resilience, and coastal communities, yet progress to clean up our seas remains slow. For example, UK seas meet only 2 out of 15 indicators of good environmental health. To turn the tide, the seas must be sustainably managed and damaging commercial activities, like bottom trawling, must be completely banned from Marine Protected Areas.
Resource extraction and processing is directly responsible for 90% of land-based biodiversity loss globally. Therefore, the transition to a circular economy must move beyond ambition and into delivery, cutting waste, reducing resource use, and tackling pollution at source. The Circular Economy Growth Plan, due to be published this year, is a golden opportunity to end the current throw-away culture.
There are early signs of improvement in some policies, but paper promises will not save nature. The Government must now turn plans into action and provide the leadership needed to meet national environmental law and international promises for nature, health, and resilience.