Nature facing irreversible decline without urgent political action, WWF warns

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and faces irreversible decline without urgent political action, WWF has warned.

The charity said Britain’s wildlife is struggling to adapt to climate change as it launched its 2024 manifesto of environmental policies ahead of the general election this year.

WWF highlighted that a quarter of UK mammals – including red squirrels, hedgehogs and wildcats – are now at risk of extinction while the UK is now the most nature-depleted country in the G7 and G20.

It also warned that legally binding environmental targets are at risk without swift action from MPs.

The Government has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 68% and to halt the decline of species by 2030.

But WWF said it is way off track to meet these commitments, citing both the independent Climate Change Committee and the Office for Environmental Protection’s repeated statements of concern about the pace of change.

The manifesto sets out a blueprint of measures to protect nature, boost green finance and deliver food security.

These include committing to delivering the “Living Planet Act”, which would ensure science-based action and accountability for meeting climate, nature and nutritional targets.

The WWF is also calling for MPs to turbocharge net zero through effective public investment and increased private finance, ensure company transition plans for climate and nature are aligned, and support farmers to cut emissions and restore nature.

Alongside the manifesto, WWF released the results of a new YouGov poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 UK adults on how MPs are tackling the climate crisis.

The research suggests that three out of five UK adults (62%) think that politicians are doing too little to tackle climate change, while nearly a third (31%) believe the government is doing less on climate change than a year ago.

Meanwhile, two-thirds (66%) of adults in the UK are worried about climate change and its effects – rising to nearly three-quarters of the under 50s, according to the poll.

Tanya Steele, chief executive of WWF, said: “Our polling shows that there is clear support from the public for politicians to prioritise the environment.

“We urge all parties in this election year to commit to protecting people who are facing rising bills and food insecurity, by rewiring our economy to be nature and climate-positive, from the way we heat our homes and the way we travel, to the way we grow and buy our food.

“There is no time to lose if we are to tackle the triple challenge of ensuring that how we use our land and seas supports our climate, nature and food security now and in the future.”

More than 16,000 people have also signed a nationwide petition, launched earlier this month, calling on all political leaders to stop fuelling the destruction of nature, the charity said.

A Government spokesperson said: “We have set world-leading targets to halt the decline of endangered species by 2030 and a clear five-year plan to respond to the climate risks we are facing.

“This is backed by investment – including £5.2 billion on flood and coastal schemes in England, over £750 million on nature-based solutions for climate resilience, and £80 million to create jobs in nature recovery and conservation.

“These all play a crucial role in enhancing the UK’s resilience to climate change.”