Thank you to all those who have contacted me about protections for nature.

Our nature teeters on a cliff edge. Protecting biodiversity, halting the decline of nature and restoring habitats and wildlife must be a priority. I am clear I want to see the COP15 summit deliver for the planet’s wildlife and its people.

The Habitats Regulations provide for an extremely high level of environmental protection for our most precious and vulnerable habitats and species. The Environment Act 2021 gives the Government the power to amend the Habitats Regulations, and the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill will give it the ability to stipulate how the Regulations interact with other environmental reports known as Environmental Outcome Reports.

The Government states it believes the Regulations to be flawed and recommended changing them in its Nature Recovery Green Paper. This underwent consultation from 16 March to 11 May 2022 and responses are being analysed. I will follow developments on this.

Concerning farming, I do not believe it and the environment should be in conflict. The climate crisis cannot be tackled without sustainable farming. I stand behind our farmers and food producers and I believe people in the farming sector overwhelmingly want to see farming conducted more sustainably.

Farming’s position at the forefront of the climate crisis means it offers a powerful tool for fighting back. With the right support, agriculture can play a critical role through conserving, protecting and enhancing our natural ecosystems. These practices can generate healthier soil, good food and greater biodiversity.

It is troubling that the UK continues to be among the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Research by the Natural History Museum shows the world has passed the safe limit for humanity in terms of biodiversity loss, and the UK’s score places it in the bottom 10%. It is very concerning 11 of the 47 native mammals to Great Britain are at risk of extinction.

While we absolutely need biodiversity targets, I do not believe the ambition to halt the decline of species abundance in the UK is good enough. We must be nature-positive and should be aiming for a dramatic incline in species abundance.

Thank you once again for contacting me on such an important issue.