Polling has consistently shown strong public support for ambitious environmental outcomes and regulation – British people want to see nature thriving and secure a safe future for the next generation.
As a result of the pandemic, followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have also found ourselves in a cost-of-living crisis with fuel bills escalating daily. This will mean millions of households are struggling to heat their homes and afford nutritious food this winter and beyond. For many, climate change and nature loss will understandably be far from the biggest concern this winter.
However, politicians and policy makers need to ensure that our natural environment remains a priority. Otherwise, we will only make it harder for ourselves to take effective action on climate, whilst our existing energy infrastructure, often located in coastal areas, will be at risk from increasingly volatile weather. This summer we witnessed, first hand, what the impacts of climate change look like – if we don’t make the right decisions now, this year’s drought, flooding and heatwaves will just be a flavour of much worse in decades to come.