Government failing on nature

Paul de Zylva

03 December 2012

Here's a quick test for you.

When you hear the term 'greenest Government ever' do you guffaw or beam with pride at what's been achieved since 2010?

Perhaps the term is a turn off? I know many people who are weary of debates about 'GGE' - there, I've used an acronym to ease your pain.

Many don't know what to think. For all, help is at hand with the Nature Check report from 39 leading nature conservation and animal welfare organisations - all members of Wildlife and Countryside Link, including Friends of the Earth.

Nature Check helps us tell if Prime Minister Cameron's pledge - made soon after he swept to power in spring 2010 - is on track.

Nature Check also sets out why being on track matters.

Nature Check has something for everyone with traffic light scores given for everything from farming, water, flooding and marine issues to animal welfare, public access to open spaces and the changes to our planning system.

Protection of whales, elephants and other endangered species also gets a score (green).

Some things do score well and the future may be as green as Messrs Cameron and Shapps pledge.

But for now it's mostly red and amber. Nature Check shows Ministers are lagging behind (red) or stalling (amber) on 18 of the 20 nature and wildlife commitments made in their coalition agreement.

From flooding and the price of energy to wildlife-friendly farming and the rising cost of food, Government action on nature and wildlife affects our everyday lives more often than we think.

So it matters what Ministers say and do. And it affects us if they do the wrong things or act too late.

Two months ago Conservative Party Chairman, Grant Shapps MP, reaffirmed Mr Cameron's 'GGE' intention saying 'we will be the greenest government ever.'

Civil society groups like Link and its members are ready to help the Government achieve its stated aims.

The Government keeps saying going green is good for the economy. Top businesses agree and keep asking the Government to act.

And it's not as though the public is standing in Ministers' way.

People do want to the Government to protect, improve and restore nature. A new poll accompanying Nature Check finds:

• Just 1 in 6 people (17%) think the current Government is the greenest ever;
• 47% say it's not taking the steps needed to leave nature in a better condition for future generations; and,
• Only a third (33%) think our natural environment is less important than economic growth.

It's in everyone's interest for the 'greenest Government ever' to be the 'greenest Government never'.

Friends of the Earth and other Link members are ready to assist. So come on Mr Cameron, turn amber to green and let's make next year's Nature Check a green clean sweep.