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An analysis of the Government's natural environment commitments

 

“Leadership from David Cameron to combat the loss of our natural capital is clearly lacking and the public feels that his Government is not doing enough to protect it. A healthy environment – and the public benefits it brings – is a critical part of everyone’s quality of life, not an optional add-on.”

 

Nature Check 2012, published on 27 November 2012, is our second assessment of the Coalition Government’s progress against its commitments to the natural environment in England. The report, which is supported by 38 of the UK’s leading environmental groups, aims to both hold the Government to account and to support effective policy-making and implementation.

 

The report concludes that the Government is failing on its own commitments to Britain’s natural environment. The report’s ‘traffic-light’ assessment shows the Government achieving ‘green’ on just two of its 20 commitments (protection of whales and of elephants). Of the remaining 18 commitments, the Government is failing on four (red) and making moderate, but insufficient, progress on 14 (amber). Link believes there is room for massive improvement.

 

Nature Check 2012 makes three key recommendations:

  1. Consistently use appropriate expertise and effective stakeholder engagement to make the best decisions for people and the environment;
  2. Implement programmes with appropriate monitoring, use of evidence, funding, environmental governance and political support;
  3. Reinvigorate the message of The Natural Choice, the Government’s Natural Environment White Paper, to drive policy-making across Government.

The report’s publication coincides with an independent survey by ComRes, which has found that the public concurs with the arguments put forward in Nature Check 2012.The survey found that 84% of people think that the natural environment boosts their quality of life, with 81% wanting to see the natural environment and its wildlife protected at all costs. Only 17% of people agreed that this is the ‘greenest government ever.’

 

Link's 2011 Nature Check report is available to read here.

 

For further information please contact Kate Hand

 

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