Election 2024: Bring back wildlife

Bring back the UK's lost wildlife

To bring back our lost wildlife and put it on a path to recovery, we’re calling on all political parties to make more space for nature.

The UK is home to species found nowhere else on Earth but immense pressure from decades of pollution and habitat loss has driven wildlife into catastrophic decline. Shockingly, 1 in 6 species in the UK is now at risk of extinction.

Nature is declining at a speed never previously seen and shows no sign of slowing. It is no longer enough to just protect the wildlife that remains – we need the next UK government to align across departments to put nature into recovery, on land and at sea, by the end of the next parliament.

Nature is vital to us all – for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the space to help us feel secure, happy, and healthy. In recent years, we have also seen increasing numbers of people actively looking for ways to access nature close to where they live. Without urgent action to bring wildlife back from the brink, communities across the UK risk bearing an unimaginable cost.

What are we doing?

The population of water voles in the UK has declined by 90% since the 1970s, but BBOWT's Water Vole Recovery Project has helped to increase the local range of water voles by more than 50% over the past 15 years.

What you can do

Ask your candidates in local and national elections what their parties are doing to address The Wildlife Trusts' priorities and what they will do locally if elected.

If you are a candidate in local or national elections, contact us to find out how you can work with us on these five priorities.

Jump to our other priorities...