Combatting the Climate and Nature Emergency

A global emergency

We are in the middle of a climate and nature emergency, and the two are inextricably linked. Climate change is driving nature’s decline, and the loss of wildlife and wild places leaves us ill-equipped to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to change.

One cannot be solved without the other.

We know from experience that restoring nature can help soak up carbon emissions - known as natural solutions to climate change - whilst contributing many additional benefits. When healthy, our natural habitats can reduce the risk of flooding, help prevent coastal erosion, improve people’s health and wellbeing, as well as maintain healthy soils, clean water and the pollinators needed for our crops – and therefore sustain us.

Nature itself is at risk from climate change, but if helped to recover, its potential to store carbon does mean it can help us to turn the tide on the climate catastrophe.

We need your help

Support work to protect and recover important habitats that lock carbon away

What are The Wildlife Trusts doing?

For decades, Wildlife Trusts up and down the country have been working on the ground to restore nature. We protect and recover important habitats that lock carbon safely away and limit the effects of climate change, including peatland, saltmarsh, fen and woodland.

The Wildlife Trusts' response

In response to the climate crisis, The Wildlife Trusts are:

Stepping up our work to restore vital habitats and natural climate solutions on a landscape scale
Calling for investment in natural climate solutions and nature's recovery, as a priority in tackling climate change, such as plans to achieve net zero
Pushing for the creation of a national Nature Recovery Network to restore thriving ecosystems and give wildlife space to adapt
Ensuring natural solutions are at the heart of local and national decision-making, such as planning, and working to protect them from damaging development and infrastructure projects
Working to ensure people of all walks of life can connect with and enjoy nature, for the benefit of our health and wellbeing.

Download our report:

Let Nature Help: How nature's recovery is essential for tackling the climate crisis

Let Nature Help: How nature's recovery is essential for tackling the climate cr… (https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/Let%20Nature%20Help.pdf)

Adressing our own carbon footprint

From travel to running our visitor centres, to powering our operations and even our conservation work, The Wildlife Trusts recognise that our activities can have an impact on the climate crisis. We are currently assessing the footprint of all 46 Wildlife Trusts and will set out our ambitions to become carbon neutral - or even carbon negative - as a movement.

Natural Solutions to Climate Crisis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=40&v=4U38zMjjkW0&feature=emb_title)

Green carbon solutions to climate change

Our habitats on land have a huge role to play in addressing climate change. Globally, plants have removed 25% of human-made carbon emissions, whilst our soils contain more carbon than is stored in those plants and the atmosphere combined!