Ground-breaking People’s Plan for Nature sets out public’s vision for safeguarding wildlife and habitats

Access to nature should be made a human right and eco-friendly agriculture must be prioritised to reverse loss of wildlife and restore ecological systems, according to citizen assembly.

The calls come as part of the ground-breaking new People’s Plan for Nature, which sets out the public’s recommendations for repairing damage that has pushed species and habitats to the brink of collapse.

The publication is a world-first – a vision for the future of nature, created for the people, by the people, setting out the actions needed to preserve and improve the nation’s natural assets.

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It says there must be “no more harm to nature” and a fundamental change in how plants and animals are valued, with ecological factors included in all levels of decision-making.

The plan also demands stronger legislation and clear targets, while calling for urgent action from every part of society.

It has been created by an assembly of more than 100 people from across the UK, with input from a further 30,000 members of the public, and includes many recommendations for governments, businesses and individuals.

These include an overhaul of current farming subsidy systems to prioritise sustainable and nature-friendly farming; transparency from supermarkets on where and how food is produced; establishment of a permanent assembly for nature; people switching to more climate-friendly diets; restoration of all rivers and wetlands; investment in wastewater and sewage infrastructure; and establishment of marine national parks.

Research has shown that the UK has lost nearly half of its biodiversity since the industrial revolution – the biggest decline of any G7 country and among the worst 10 per cent for biodiversity intactness globally.

The People’s Plan for Nature, which sets out the public’s vision for the future of nature, was created for the people, by the people as part of a UK-wide citizens' assemblyThe People’s Plan for Nature, which sets out the public’s vision for the future of nature, was created for the people, by the people as part of a UK-wide citizens' assembly
The People’s Plan for Nature, which sets out the public’s vision for the future of nature, was created for the people, by the people as part of a UK-wide citizens' assembly

In the last 50 years, 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies and 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s.

In Scotland, nearly half of all species have declined since 1994 and one in nine is now threatened with extinction. Some birds have been particularly badly hit.

There has been a 38 per cent overall drop in breeding seabirds from 1986 to 2016, with kittiwakes and arctic skuas falling to less than a third of previous levels. Meanwhile, kestrels, curlews and lapwings all fell by more than 60 per cent between 1995 and 2020.

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Professor Pete Smith, from the University of Aberdeen, was one of the Scots who took part in the assembly – providing scientific expertise in climate, soils and agriculture.

In the last 50 years, 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies and 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930sIn the last 50 years, 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies and 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s
In the last 50 years, 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies and 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s

He has been impressed at the work that has gone into the plan.

“I was really proud to have been one of the academic leads for this assembly,” he said.

“The level of engagement among participants was awesome, and the quality of discussions was extremely high.

“The call to action the participants have come up with are profound, and set a challenge to government and others to do more for nature and to act with more urgency.”

Pauline McCrantook, from South Queensferry near Edinburgh, also contributed.

“It has been phenomenal what I've learned,” she said. “What I've taken away from it is that I can make a change too. We all can.

“It’s a very diverse group but this is our collective view and our voice and our opinion. And I hope that the diversity of views can be used to focus the people in power.”

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