Climate and Nature Emergency

The Climate and Nature Emergency

We are facing two inextricably linked crises, the climate emergency and huge declines in wildlife and nature. We cannot solve one crisis without tackling the other – nature’s recovery is vital for tackling the climate crisis, and the climate crisis accelerates nature’s decline.

Thriving habitats can safely lock up vast amounts of carbon, while providing other vital benefits that help us adapt, such as flood prevention, clean water and improved health and wellbeing.

Wildlife is disappearing at an alarming rate and the UK has become one of the most nature depleted nations in the world, with over 15% of species at risk of extinction.

Tackling the nature emergency together with the climate crisis is the most important challenge of our time.

How nature can help fight the climate emergency

We need councils to recognise the Nature Emergency

We need to turn things around for wildlife and the climate. To do that, we need strong and bold leadership from our political representatives. That is why we are campaigning for councils across the two counties to declare an ecological emergency, alongside the climate emergency, and take urgent action to reverse declines in wildlife and restore the natural ecosystems on which we all depend.

By recognising we are in a crisis and committing to create a strategy, targets and an action plan for nature’s recovery locally, councils can be part of the change to halt and reverse declines in wildlife and restore a healthy natural environment for people and wildlife.

Do you want your local council to declare an Nature Emergency?

Your council declaring an nature emergency is a vital way to kickstart local nature recovery and our voices are stronger when we work together to campaign for change.

One of the ways we can get councils to declare an nature emergency is to ask councillors to propose it as a motion at a council meeting. Then the real work can begin once the council has voted to acknowledge the emergency we are in! We need your help to make that happen! Councillors represent local people in their ward and are more likely to propose a motion if they know they have the support and backing of their local community.

Act now and demand that your council declares a nature emergency

Want to start your own campaign?

Are you interested in starting your own campaign to get your local council to declare an nature emergency, become a pesticide free town or have an idea of your own? We will be launching our Team Wilder Campaign Leaders program soon, if you are interested to develop your campaigning and political advocacy skills, get in touch with us at campaigns@hiwwt.org.uk