Green Party backs a Rights of Nature Act to give nature legal rights

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23 October 2021

The Green Party has called for ecosystems to be provided legal protection in a new suite of policies adopted by members at its party conference today [Saturday 23 October].

Under the new policy, the party would enact a Rights of Nature Act which would extend legal protections for wildlife and habitats in England and Wales, and would establish an independent Commission for Nature to oversee the Act’s enforcement.

Green Party Natural World spokesperson, Jonathan Elmer, said: 

“We face an ecological emergency which threatens the survival of all life on the planet including our own. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world with about half of its biodiversity lost [1]. 

“There is overwhelming public support for protecting nature and rewilding. By giving nature legal rights and establishing a Commission for Nature, Greens have agreed the most forward looking national policy in the world for the protection and restoration of nature.

“This bold approach must now challenge the government and other parties to go further in addressing the tragic depletion of nature and wildlife and creating a thriving natural environment for the future.”  

Also included in the wide-ranging set of policies adopted by the Green Party today are proposals to ban pesticides harming pollinators, including neonicotinoids, and plans to pay farmers to set aside at least 15% of their land for wildlife. 

And the Greens say they will increase access to nature for people of colour and people with mobility difficulties, including by commissioning research into barriers for these groups and through ensuring there is accessible public transport to areas of nature from within cities.

The proposals would be carried out through a fully-publicly funded 30-year strategy for nature. 

ENDS

Notes

1

Biodiversity: UK is one of world’s most nature-depleted countries, new data finds

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