Debbie Tann, Chief Executive at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: “The PM set out an ambitious vision and it’s encouraging to hear the government today naming some of the pressing environmental challenges facing us locally, nationally and indeed globally - including plastic pollution, wildlife declines, climate change and increasing industrial and residential development.

“I’m particularly pleased to hear explicit mention of embedding ‘environmental net gain’ in new building developments, which echoes what we at the Wildlife Trusts have set out in our nature-friendly housing vision published this week. If we are to have any hope of reversing wildlife declines this needs to become the new norm along with the creation of a nature recovery network of bigger, better and connected spaces for wildlife.

“We also agree whole-heartedly with the emphasis on opening up more opportunities for people of all ages - from school through to older age - to benefit from, connect with and take individual action to help wildlife and the wider environment. This is very much at the heart of the work that we do to secure a better future for wildlife and people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Nature Friendly Schools programme announced today is a welcome step.

“We will also look closely at the plans for better protecting our local seas, including reducing single-used plastics and increasing the number of marine conservation zones. These are, of course, moves that we would support but given the urgency of saving our environment on land and at sea, we must ensure that action happens now rather than in twenty five years’ time, and is backed up with real legal powers through a proper Environment Act.”

Read more in our latest Wildlife Matters blog post here.