5 threats to UK wildlife

The problem

The biggest impact on UK wildlife has been the intensification of agriculture.

Agriculture accounts for over 70% of land use in the UK, but the environmental damage we have suffered while inside the current Common Agricultural Policy has been significant.

Soil health has deteriorated. Numbers of farmland bird species such as the grey partridge, tree sparrow, skylark, linnet and yellowhammer have dropped. Precious UK habitats have been eroded.

Intensive farming has resulted in the loss of flower meadows, hedgerows and trees – all of which are vital habitats for pollinating insects such as bees, with knock-on effects for species further up the food chain.

What we can do about it

We need to make sure farmers are supported to do things that are good for nature but don’t bring in direct income. 

As we leave the EU, we have a golden opportunity to change the way we manage our land in bold ways that could help us restore nature. However whilst UK Government has publicly committed to ‘being a world-leading protector of the natural world’, their actions are falling far short of this ambition.

We need the UK Government to hear loud and clear that we won’t stand to see further loss of wildlife as we leave the EU.

The problem

You’re probably aware of the threat that climate change poses to iconic species such as polar bears or snow leopards. But it will increasingly have an impact on wildlife right here in the UK too.

Changing weather patterns – for example longer periods of drought, warmer summers, or more flooding – will all have a knock-on effect on our wildlife. Many of our most iconic mammals, such as badgers, moles and hedgehogs, eat invertebrates that favour wetter weather and could be threatened by climate change.

Many migratory birds could also be affected, as their passage is closely synchronised with food availability. Shifts in seasons could therefore have a serious impact on their survival chances.

What we can do about it

We have the knowledge and the technology to reduce our impact on the climate and ease the pressures on the world's most vulnerable places, people and wildlife. We just need to make it happen.

Through our campaigning and advocacy work, we're driving changes in policy and legislation in the UK. You can do your bit to help by eating more sustainably, or making a promise for the planet and switching to green energy.

The problem

Another result of the intensification of agriculture has been an increase in the use of pesticides. Specific types of pesticides – neonicotinoids – were recently banned by the EU due to concern about the large scale harm caused to bees.

But they’re not the only pesticides that pose a threat to UK wildlife. In fact, many slug pellets used in gardens around Britain contain an active ingredient called ‘metaldehyde’ (a chemical also used widely by farmers) which can cause huge damage if it's not applied carefully. It can enter our waterways and into our drinking water. 

The pellets can also be washed into drains or ditches, find their way into our rivers, and harm animals much larger than slugs. Like microplastics, this toxic chemical can be passed up the food chain, harming predators like hedgehogs or birds.

The solution

In your own garden, you can try to avoid metaldehyde, using natural alternatives such as copper strips to deter slugs – or look to create an environment that encourages predators like slow-worms or hedgehogs.

On a larger scale, we’ve been looking at the UK government’s plans for a new environmental watchdog. We’ve joined calls for the new watchdog to have strong jaws and big teeth – and real targets for it to enforce, to ensure nature is protected once we leave the EU.