Page 2 - Natural World Spring 2017
P. 2
UK NEWS
Green groups unite
Following the vote to leave the EU, environmental organisations are asking Government to keep
Farming Environment
Keep Keep
Controls on pollution of Protection for important
our rivers, soils and seas wildlife sites
NICHOLAS WATTS MATTHEW ROBERTS
Introduce Introduce
Investment to restore our A world-leading Environment
soils, rivers and countryside Act, and map nature’s recovery
to full ecological health
MATTHEW ROBERTS UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR
Thirteen major environmental make that change a good one.” The Wildlife Trusts are asking
organisations including The Greener UK is concerned that Government to:
Wildlife Trusts have formed a ■ Bring in a world-leading
new coalition called Greener UK. wildlife could be forgotten in the rush Environment Act and map nature’s
Their aim is twofold: first, to ensure to attract new investment or make recovery;
that wildlife’s fortunes improve when new trade deals. This might reduce ■ Invest public money in restoring
we leave the EU; and second, to the protection we give our most our soils, rivers and countryside to full
persuade the UK’s Governments to important wildlife sites, or the vigour ecological health;
seize this moment and lead the with which we control pollution. ■ Complete the UK’s network of
world in nature’s recovery. Marine Protected Areas and ensure
The coalition is calling on the UK we fish sustainably.
The 13 organisations in the coalition Government to keep as much of the
speak for almost eight million EU’s environmental protection as “We have secured real, tangible
members – but many more people possible when we leave, and uphold and positive change in the past and
support the coalition’s objectives. In a it into the future. It is also asking for are determined to do so again,” says
recent YouGov poll, eight out of ten sustainable and e ective farming and Stephanie Hilborne. “The people of
British adults thought we needed the fisheries policies, underpinned by the UK want their wildlife back. Now
same or stronger levels of safeguards for important wildlife sites is the time to call for that, on behalf
environmental protection after we and species, pollution control, and of this generation and the next.”
leave the EU. marine protection.
“This coalition is powerful because Eight out of ten adults think
its moment has come,” says we need the same or more
Stephanie Hilborne, Chief Executive environmental protection
of The Wildlife Trusts. “If these islands
are to change fundamentally, let’s
2 NATURAL WORLD SPRING 2017
