30 September 2022

Press Release

For immediate release

Majority of UK believe nature is in crisis and urgently needs help as charities invite public to join biggest ever conversation about nature

Eighty one per cent of UK adults believe nature is under threat and that more needs to be done urgently to protect and restore it, according to polling out today from the National Trust, the RSPB and WWF. Almost half (48%) are willing to take action themselves to reverse the damage but 42% don’t feel empowered to do so.

The results come as three of the UK’s biggest conservation charities join forces with celebrity champions Maisie Williams and Cel Spellman to launch the People’s Plan for Nature, inviting the nation to have its say on how the UK solves the ongoing nature crisis.

Through both a UK-wide conversation and the UK’s first ever citizens' assembly for nature, the charities are inviting people to share their ideas and together develop a set of public demands to tackle the nature crisis - calling on Prime Minister Liz Truss and new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena to take rapid action.

This summer the UK has seen an unprecedented heatwave, drought and an ongoing failure to address pollution across UK waterways, yet nature and climate remained low on the priority list in the Conservative leadership hustings.

The new Prime Minister has already moved towards an expansion of fossil fuel extraction in the UK, instead of prioritising a rapid shift to renewables and a drive towards energy efficiency in our homes that would make us truly energy secure while cutting bills. If the Prime Minister also delays supporting farmers in adopting nature friendly approaches, it does not bode well for our struggling natural habitats, nor the wildlife that depends on them.

Respondents to the poll released today were asked to select up to three things they’d most want to see in their local area to improve nature and wildlife; the suggestions with the highest percentages were, in order:

More action for cleaner rivers, waterways and seas
More protection for nature in the planning and house building system
Strengthened legal protection for nature, wildlife, and habitats
More wildlife reserves to protect habitats and increase wildlife diversity
More funding to restore and protect nature-friendly spaces in farmlands.

The charities are encouraging the public to submit their thoughts on the future of nature in the UK by visiting peoplesplanfornature.org before 30th October. The charities have also partnered with Future Art Centres (a network of independent cultural centres across the UK) to help facilitate the conversation. The public will be invited to add their ideas to specially-designed tree installations at 30 Art Centres around the country and selected National Trust venues.

The three charity chiefs, Hilary McGrady (National Trust), Beccy Speight (RSPB) and Tanya Steele (WWF) said in a collective statement:

“This government, elected on their greenest ever manifesto, is now contemplating breaking its promises on vital protections for the UK’s nature, risking catastrophic consequences. From abandoning fundamental legal protections for wildlife to failing farmers committed to sustainable agriculture, this would be an attack on nature at the worst possible time.

“The desire to defend nature unites people in every community from Caerphilly to Cumbria, Antrim to Aberdeen, and we must all be part of the conversation about how we protect and restore it. Today’s People’s Plan For Nature is vital for us all to have our voices heard – nature has never needed us more.”

The majority of people in the UK say they have witnessed a decline in nature and wildlife in their local areas in at least one form, according to the polling: 65% in the amount and variety of insects they see including butterflies and bumblebees and 58% in birds; 60% in the number of mammal sightings such as hedgehogs, badgers and otters and 59% in green spaces such as parks and woodlands. And many have seen some form of decline in the last five years alone (64%).

Starting in November 2022, a representative group of 100 people from across the UK will come together in the first ever UK-wide citizens' assembly for nature to develop a set of recommendations to help and restore nature in the UK. Over the course of the People’s Assembly for Nature, participants will hear from leading scientists, politicians, industry leaders and members of the public to understand the pressures UK nature is under. In February, the People’s Assembly for Nature will prioritise what it understands to be the most crucial solutions to protect and restore nature in the UK.

Maisie Williams and Cel Spellman are the first celebrity champions supporting the campaign.

Emmy-nominated actor, activist, and producer Maisie Williams said:

“The People’s Plan for Nature is the chance for all of us to come together and fight for nature before it is too late. I am so excited to join this vital conversation and play a part in protecting and restoring the wildlife that means so much to me and countless others. For me, it’s about birdsong – it always reminds me of home, and I’m scared that I will wake up one day and won’t be able to hear it anymore. We must act now – and the most powerful thing we can do is use our voices, collectively. So let’s join this fight together and bring our nature back to life!”

Actor, presenter and activist Cel Spellman said:

“The People’s Plan for Nature gives us a rare opportunity to unite and bring about desperately needed change for our natural world. We have all turned to and appreciated nature like never before in the last few years. For me, spending time immersed in the natural world is my medicine, it’s good for the soul, body and mind. Yet the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Nature needs us now more than ever, and this is the time for us all to stand up, take action and use our voices to protect and restore our precious wildlife species, ecosystems and environment. Together we can make a real difference.”

The People’s Plan for Nature will give a voice to everyone to share their ideas, asking the public: “what do you love about nature in the UK? What would you miss if it disappeared?” to get their feedback on how to thwart the nature crisis and to understand what people would like to see for the future of UK nature and wildlife.

ENDS

89up is the agency working with the National Trust, RSPB, and WWF on the launch of the People’s Plan for Nature campaign.

Images of the People’s Plan for Nature trees can be found here.

Spokespeople:

Celebrity champions:

Emmy-nominated actor, activist, and producer Maisie Williams
Actor, presenter and activist Cel Spellman

National Trust:

Harry Bowell, Director of Land and Nature at the National Trust
Rosie Hails, Director of Science and Nature at the National Trust

RSPB:

Beccy Speight, CEO
Emma Marsh, Executive Director of Digital Technology and Communications
Helen Meech, Head of Movement Building

WWF:

Tanya Steele, CEO
Katie White and Katie Norgrove, Executive Directors of Advocacy & Campaigns

Additional Quotes available upon request

Statistics

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 8580 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1st - 6th September 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Eighty one percent of 8,580 UK adults surveyed believe nature is under threat, and we urgently need to do more to protect and restore it. However only 20% agree that the UK has lost more of its nature than almost any other country in the world.