In mid-March, the Government published a consultation on nature protections. However, the proposals as they stand will fail to stop nature’s decline, let alone enable it to recover. 

The Government’s Nature Recovery Green Paper consults on proposed changes to protected sites for nature. Strengthening protections for our most valuable sites is crucial if the Government wants to meet its legally binding target to halt the decline in nature.

An ambitious target must be set to restore our currently designated sites to good condition. It’s absolutely vital that Government resists calls to lift the rules that protect our most important wild places.

As well as improving our existing designated sites, we need to protect more sites from development and pollution. However, the Green Paper proposes giving the Secretary of State sole power over which sites should be designated for nature.

It is vital that these decisions are based on environmental rather than economic or development considerations and it is, therefore, key that experts such as Natural England retain their ability to designate new sites alongside powers given to Government Ministers. 

The Wildlife Trusts welcome the proposed new Nature Recovery designation and new ways to manage protected sites. To ensure these newly designated sites contribute to the Government’s mission to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, any new designation must deliver robust protections to create more space for nature.

We can’t allow the changes to simply relabel existing designations that have failed to halt nature’s decline. We must have better protections for existing designated sites, and more of them.

At the moment, the Green Paper provokes fears rather than hopes so The Wildlife Trusts will be making our concerns clear to Government.

What you can do

• Read more about The Wildlife Trusts' response to the Green Paper.
• Respond to the Government consultation. 
• Look out for our campaign action coming soon.