Building a strong Environment Bill

You’ve been helping us to call for a new law for nature, and now it’s here! Published just a few days ago, the draft Westminster Environment Bill is swiftly progressing through Parliament with a Second Reading scheduled for Monday 28th October.

As this is the first chance MPs will have to give their broad views about the content we need to move fast to ensure as many as possible attend the debate and speak up for nature’s recovery at this crucial moment.

We’re delighted to see that, thanks to your help, the draft already contains key elements of our ask around a Nature Recovery Network. And there’s more good news as the Bill also includes:
a framework to set legally binding, long-term improvement targets for air, water, waste and biodiversity and a requirement on the Secretary of State to meet those targets, and
a proposed new Office for Environmental Protection – this currently lacks meaningful independence, but has at least been given some of the additional powers we’ve been calling for.
But we’re deeply concerned that important commitments around environmental standards and explicit plans around funding are missing. Most worrying is there are no obligations around biodiversity improvements or connecting habitats – essential to develop a truly effective Nature Recovery Network.

Monday’s debate is a vital first step towards making a wilder future possible. After this, MPs will vote whether or not to progress the Bill and then will start to shape the detail. If nature’s recovery is not incorporated now, the opportunity could be lost forever.

Please make sure your MP knows about Monday’s debate and urge them to go – we’ve made it easy for you to send a quick note to them today.

Together with you, we’ve worked so hard for this – backed by key people like Sir David Attenborough, who has urged politicians to understand everything is better when it’s connected – and to get the concept of nature’s recovery accepted into national policy.