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richardbenwell.bsky.social
CEO, Wildlife & Countryside Link, for #wildlife, animal #welfare and #wellbeing. http://wcl.org.uk @wclnews.bsky.social. Chair, #Oxfordshire Local Nature Partnership.
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🦇 A new episode of our podcast BatChat is now out! In this noisy episode, we’re taking you to the heart of the Restore Nature Now march in London, where 60,000+ passionate individuals gathered on 22 June 2024, to demand stronger action for nature. Listen here: batchat.buzzsprout.com/680561/episo...

Government's answer to growing demand for nature-friendly farming should be to increase the budget, not to cut off contracts. SFI can be improved, but the Chancellor should use the Spending Review to invest in green farming practices as a vital foundation of sustainable growth.

🧵Previous attempts to speed up environment planning rules were deregulatory: ripping up rules defending rivers from pollution, habitat from destruction, wildlife from extinction. The #PlanningBill sets a new tone aiming for nature recovery & development. publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbi...

Principles like #polluterpays & the #precautionaryprinciple give a crucial perspective on how environmental enhancement must be integrated in policy-making across Govt. We support the OEP's recommendations for strengthening implementation of the #EnvironmentAct legal duty. bit.ly/3QzNabs

Please share your views! A chance to reshape corporate governance in the public interest; to drag regulation up-to-date with nature & health targets; and make catchment plans deliver with #polluterpays & incentives across sectors consult.defra.gov.uk/independent-... www.gov.uk/government/n...

It's out! The CCC recommends an 87% reduction in emissions by 2040 (compared to 1990 levels). Super interesting section on demand management! And an important recognition that action must ramp up quickly "on transport, buildings, industry and farming." www.theccc.org.uk/2025/02/26/e...

Overseas Development Assistance is an amazing way to help reduce poverty, climate change & nature loss. Programmes like the Darwin Initiative restore ecosystems for people & nature. They make the world safer. Today's huge cut in ODA to fund defence puts all that at risk.

Positive to see Defra reward ongoing environmental action from wildlife-friendly farmers today. Now, quick work is needed to multiply higher tier stewardship agreements - frozen for too long - dedicating more budget to drive this cutting edge of wildlife-friendly farming.

New data shows all bad news for England's priority wildlife habitats. ❌big drop in monitoring: Natural England needs funds to keep up ❌fall in favourable management in & outside SSSIs ❌fall in SSSIs in good condition: better incentives & enforcement urgent. 🧵1/3

We're intervening in a Supreme Court case today, this time in *support* of the Housing Department against developers in a key case for the future of river rules & the Habitats Regulations. For development & nature recovery to work together environmental assessment can't be reduced to a tick box.

Please don't forget to #ShowTheLove2025 with @TheCCoalition by emailing your MP to ask them to be a champion for environmental action in Parliament. www.theclimatecoalition.org/show-the-love

"In the face of the current wave of environmental backlash and net zero scaremongering, rejecting Rosebank is a golden opportunity for the UK to draw a line in the sand against the myths and misinformation" writes @carolinelucas.bsky.social in our latest blog. Read it now👉

There's a sad irony in the typo in this Government press release. Most people want to broker agreement, not disagreement. By falsely setting up bats & newts as the enemy of development, "brokering disagreements" is exactly what they're doing - with millions who care for nature.

As Biodiversity Net Gain approaches its 1st Birthday, how can Government boost it to its full potential?🌱 In our new blog, @richardbenwell.bsky.social sets out the need to up the ambition, close loopholes & increase local ecological capacity🏘️ Read more👇 www.wcl.org.uk/happy-birthd...

Been reading through the Government's new Land Use Consultation. Here's the juiciest bits I've seen so far! An excellent, bold proposal to spare 9% of England's least-productive land for nature & carbon - restoring peat bogs & regenerating woods - & changes to ag land use over a further 10% /1

I left Steve Reed's #LandUseFramework consultation launch feeling hopeful. For healthy food, green infrastructure *and* nature, it'll need: 🌎a legal link to planning & consenting 🌍rules to target incentives 🌏public interest in private land important for wildlife. www.gov.uk/government/s...

We brought a legal challenge against the last Government when it didn't review the Environment Plan after the OEP found that targets were likely to be missed. The new Government agreed to a review & the 1st stage is done. Now we need the policies to "speed up & scale up" action.

Chancellor @RachelReevesMP, millions of people are worried about #wildlife, even if some developers want to wash their hands of it. The best way to stop people worrying about chalk streams, dormice, wildflower meadows and, yes, bats isn't to deregulate. It's to #RestoreNatureNow.

The objectives of the Chancellor's Infrastructure Strategy all need nature. 💚Resilient growth 💚Net zero 💚Illness to prevention The Chancellor needs an investment programme, a project pipeline & priority projects for Critical Natural Infrastructure. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6793c6...

Genuinely baseless challenges shouldn't hold up projects like renewables development. In reality this rarely happens. Legal changes mustn't unfairly weigh the system against access to environmental justice when few delays come from troublesome claimants. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

In 2023-24, the UK was off-track in all its nature targets. Coming months are make or break for Government to meet its legal duty to halt nature decline by 2030. We need: 💚Investment in the Spending Review 💚Space & protection for wildlife in planning reform 💚X-sector polluter pays in water reform

Beavers: politically-neutral, environmentally-positive. Let's go for it! #RiversNeedBeavers beavertrust.org/wp-content/u...

The Water Restoration Fund is a great way to ensure water company fines help restore nature. Government is resisting putting the Fund in law & the first £11m hasn't been paid, leaving projects in limbo. If not in law, will the Government secure this vital fund in the Budget?

Will the Nature Restoration Fund help or harm? 🌱 In this new blog, @richardbenwell.bsky.social unpacks how the UK’s planning reforms could shape a better future for wildlife—if done right. 🦋 greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/01/14/c...

A tale of two headlines based on the same press release. The reality, of course, is that the National Trust’s nature restoration efforts will bolster good farming, by “improving the health of enough soil to provide habitat for 1 billion earthworms.”

When nature targets are missed, Governments shrug shoulders & move on. Like the 2020 goal for healthy UK seas. Since then, positive steps on fishing have been delayed & there's no credible plan for marine wildlife. The OEP's investigation will help ensure that nature targets aren't just forgotten.

At our General Election hustings the Shadow Nature Minister said the Labour Party would "stop destructive bottom trawling" in Marine Protected Areas as "one of our first measures". Now the previous government's deadline has passed, we need quick work from Defra to protect UK seas & restore wildlife

Our Marine Protected Area network is big, but it's not strong. Just 44% of protected species & habitats are in good condition. The Environmental Improvement Plan promised byelaws to stop harmful fisheries in 2024, but only 60% are done. Defra must get back on track quickly.

Although it's new, BNG needs urgent review. The weaknesses are ones we flagged from the outset: 🏡Enforcement is failing so promised gains never appear. 🏠The 10% gain requirement isn't enough to contribute to nature recovery 🏘️Huge loopholes leave many developments exempt.

Very good to see Labour will strengthen the mandate of National Parks & National Landscapes to "recover nature". This will require primary legislation, and was something the Glover Review proposed way back in 2019 - but the Tories never did it. 1/ defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/16/7...

Happy birthday National Parks! If ever you doubted the difference a law can make, they're a great reminder. Now it's time for the law to catch up & ensure our great landscapes are improved for nature & climate. @DefraGovUK 's plan to give them a clear nature purpose is positive.

75 years ago today history was made 🎉 The #NationalParks & Access to the Countryside Act came into force, a truly visionary legislation enshrining everyone’s ability to access nature in law 📜 Today we celebrate their past & fight for their future 🙌 www.cnp.org.uk/our-national...