Today a joint campaign is launched by over 50 nature conservation groups – please give it a great start by signing this petition right now: https://bit.ly/3kjLIsX
Unless, of course, you trust the Westminster government to deliver for wildlife without being harried, prodded and poked at every opportunity – personally I don’t trust them and I want to see it in writing.
This campaign asks Boris Johnson to introduce an amendment to the much-delayed Environment Bill to set a legally binding target to reverse the loss of nature in England by 2030. At the moment we just have wishy washy words and I don’t trust this government to keep its word. A legally binding target would apply to this government and future governments – that’s what nature needs.
This amendment would apply to England only (because the Environment Bill’s provisions are mostly restricted to England) but a strong response to the petition will influence the governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland too. And you can sign this petition on behalf of English wildlife wherever you live and help to make a difference – so please do.
So it boils down to this: if you care for wildlife in England you should sign this petition, please, unless you fully trust this government and future governments to reverse the decline in wildlife without a legally binding amendment to this bill.
Please add your voice on Day 1 of this campaign – sign here.
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Done and sent to others.
Mark
Here is Hansard’s transcript (26th January 2021): https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-01-26/debates/20CFA026-8E78-4D84-82E4-B4236D826AA4/Environment Bill in which Caroline Lucas submitted several amendments as new clauses to the Bill, some of which appear to me to be similar to the petition’s wording. All, I repeat all, were voted down by Tory MPs. So, can amendments previously been voted out, be reinserted? Would the Speaker allow it?
I agree that there needs to be a legally binding commitment to this and future Governments. But the NGOs are several weeks too late in my opinion unless my thoughts above are wrong.
Richard – there is a Hilary Benn amendment. The time is now.
“Unless, of course, you trust the Westminster government to deliver for wildlife without being harried, prodded and poked at every opportunity – personally I don’t trust them and I want to see it in writing.”
Trust has to be earned, not promised. And it is a currency easily lost.