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Wildlife and climate campaigners unite in what could be the biggest ever march for nature

• Members of the public are being encouraged to ‘unite for nature’ by joining a legal and family-friendly demonstration on the streets of central London on Saturday 22 June 2024
• Backed by a wide-range of nature, wildlife and climate groups and campaigners, including Chris Packham, the demonstration aims to be the biggest-ever gathering of nature and climate supporters in the UK
• The Restore Nature Now demonstration will bring thousands of people together to call on all political parties to take action to restore nature and tackle climate change in the UK, as one of the worst nations for nature loss

Environment campaigners are urging everyone who cares for nature to unite and march through London to Parliament Square on Saturday 22 June, with a simple demand to all political parties: Restore Nature Now. 

This legal demonstration aims to be the biggest gathering of people for nature and climate that the UK has seen and is both a celebration of UK nature and a protest for urgent political action on the nature and climate emergencies.  

The Restore Nature Now march will be a peaceful, inclusive and family-friendly event. It is supported by a diverse group of dozens of wildlife and environment organisations (including the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, The Climate Coalition, WWF-UK, National Trust, WWT, Woodland Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Rewilding Britain, Extinction Rebellion and Chris Packham) who are warning that this General Election must be a turning point for nature before it is too late.

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Political focus on nature and climate in this country needs a huge upgrade. People understand the seriousness of the nature crisis and demand that elected officials do the same. Nature charities are backed by millions of supporters and this event will see many of these as well as our volunteers and anyone who cares about nature taking a collective stand. We can lose the embarrassing badge as one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth, but we have got to go further and work faster together. Inaction is simply not an option.”

Beccy Speight, RSPB CEO said: “Here in the UK, we care deeply about nature. But last year’s State of Nature report laid out a grim picture, finding that there’s been no let-up in the decline of our wildlife over recent decades, with one in six species now at risk of being lost from our shores.

“But there is hope: while we know the threats, we also know the solutions. But we simply aren’t acting fast enough or at a big enough scale to tackle the nature and climate crisis. We’re calling for urgent action and a much stronger commitment to nature’s recovery from politicians of all parties, because we cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Chris Packham, TV Broadcaster and Wildlife Campaigner said "As conservationists and environmental groups we have to accept that the dire state of nature- both in the UK and globally- has happened on our watch. So now's the time for bolder action, stronger demands, braver tactics and a new way of working… together. Ticking a box, signing a petition, sharing a post- it’s simply not enough when we are facing the collapse of our living systems. It’s time for all of us to take to the streets, shoulder to shoulder, whoever we are and demand our leaders Restore Nature Now"

Further quotes from The Climate Coalition, WWT, WWF, UK Youth For Nature, Woodland Trust, Extinction Rebellion, Rewilding Britain and Wildlife and Countryside Link can be found in the notes to editors [1].

The UK is ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for nature loss, with 1 in 6 wildlife species at risk of extinction in Great Britain.[2] UK policies have also been rated as inadequate to the scale of the nature and climate crisis. In its annual progress report , the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) said that ‘the UK is ‘largely off track to meet its environmental ambitions, and must speed up and scale up its efforts in order to achieve them’. And the Committee on Climate Change has analysed UK action as insufficient to meet emission reduction targets, and reported that the UK is no longer seen as a climate leader.

The UK is known as a nation of nature-lovers and polls have revealed high levels of concern over inadequate UK climate and nature action. Results from two nationwide surveys conducted by The Wildlife Trusts showed that irrespective of voting choice, nature matters to people across the electorate, with 93% of voters reporting that they believe nature loss is a serious threat to humanity.[3] Recent YouGov UK polling on behalf of WWF-UK also showed that the majority of people (70%) think it’s possible to avoid the worst effects of climate change but more than half (58%) think it’s only possible with more drastic action.

The Restore Nature Now demonstration will show a joint voice across the nature and climate sectors, uniting to tell all political parties that action must be taken to restore nature now. The organisations from across the UK are united in calling on UK politicians to show strong domestic and global nature and climate leadership, by taking the following actions:

  • A pay rise for nature - Farmers manage 70% of UK land and have a huge role to play in supporting environmental recovery. But they need more support. We want to see the nature and climate-friendly farming budget doubled.
  • Make polluters pay - Big businesses; from water, to retail, to energy, all contribute to environmental decline. We want new rules to make them contribute to nature and climate recovery, and an end to new fossil fuels.
  • More space for nature - Just 3% of English land and 8% of waters are properly protected for nature and wildlife. To meet UK nature and climate commitments we need to expand and improve protected areas, and ensure public land and National Parks contribute more to recovery.
  • A right to a healthy environment - Limited access to nature, and pollution in the air and water, affects everyone’s health. We’re calling for a commitment to an Environmental Rights Bill, which would drive better decisions for nature, improve public health and access to high-quality nature. 
  • Fair and effective climate action - We cannot save nature without solving the climate crisis. We want to see investment in warm homes and lower bills by increasing home energy efficiency, supporting active travel and public transport, and replacing polluting fossil fuels with affordable renewables to ensure we at least halve UK emissions by 2030. 

More details about the Restore Nature Now demonstration will be released in the coming weeks. Supporters can find out more about the Restore Nature Now demonstration at www.restorenaturenow.com  and can donate to support the organisation of the demonstration at https://chuffed.org/project/restore-nature-now. 

Notes to Editors

Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF-UK said: “Nature in the UK and around the world is in crisis. Every one of us must play a critical role in protecting and restoring it, which is why we’re joining together to urge all political parties in this election year to commit to action which brings our world back to life. Nature is our life support system, and we must protect people who are facing rising bills and food insecurity by rewiring our economy to be nature and climate positive. From the way we heat our homes and the way we travel, to the way we grow and buy our food – action is needed now to secure a living planet, fit for people and nature.”

Helen Meech, CEO of the Climate Coalition said: “The next generation deserves a future that is free from the threat of climate catastrophe and where nature is thriving. This General Election must finally turn the tide for wildlife and climate, we can’t afford another decade of broken promises and missed targets. We need our political leaders to hear and respond to the strength of public concern about the state of UK nature and climate - and the more feet we have on the ground at this march the louder the message will be to Restore Nature Now, so please join us on 22 June.”  

WWT Chief Executive Sarah Fowler said: “Nature is in free-fall in the UK, and there is an urgent need for action. However, hope is not lost. We know that nature bounces back quickly when you add water. Wetlands are wondrous places; they’re mood boosters, carbon storers, water purifiers and a home to 40% of the world’s species. We’re proud to be joining forces with people who care and want to make a difference. On 22 June, we’re marching for wetlands, and for stronger and more timely commitments to nature recovery from all political parties.

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “We’re urging anyone who cares about wildlife, climate, rivers, and seas to join us on 22 June. It's a celebration of nature and a warning to Westminster politicians that they've neglected our environment for too long. As the General Election approaches, which political leaders will step up with action to bring the UK’s ailing environment back to life? We can't afford to squander the UK's natural riches. We must Restore Nature Now."

Etienne Stott MBE, Olympian and Extinction Rebellion UK spokesperson, "I'm really excited that Extinction Rebellion UK is going to be out on the streets with such a great variety of friends and allies who are all passionate about protecting and restoring nature. Biodiversity loss, habitat destruction and climate breakdown are now at breaking point. I'm deeply worried and I know huge numbers of others are too. The only way we are going to do anything about it is if we all come together and pull in the same direction. This demonstration, a follow up from The Big One last year, is a start to bringing this fight to the mainstream and getting everyone who cares about our planet and all life on earth to bring about radical and urgent change."

Rebecca Wrigley, CEO of Rewilding Britain, said: “We are adding our voice to this call to Restore Nature Now, urging all political parties to demonstrate a monumental increase in their commitment to reversing nature’s decline at the next election. Rewilding Britain wants to see 30% of our land and seas dedicated to rewilding by 2030, reconnecting us with the natural world, sustaining prosperous communities, and tackling the biodiversity and climate emergencies.”

“The next election is not the time for half measures – our natural environment is suffering worse than ever before, with unprecedented numbers of wildlife at risk of extinction, extreme weather events on the rise, and precious habitats being lost at an alarming rate. The government must be bold and act decisively for nature, for wildlife and for our future health and prosperity. Anything less and they risk failing this and future generations.”

Dr Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust said: “We are calling for environmental issues to be moved right up to the top of the political agenda, not just to make the country a greener place but a healthier place too. 

“Our tree equity work has shown that where there is more nature and more trees, there are better health outcomes. And it’s not just us saying this - extensive research we carried out with GPs showed they believe investing in trees and nature could help improve the nation’s health and reduce the burden on the health service. There must be a greater, more urgent commitment from politicians to restore nature for the potentially life-giving benefits of a cleaner, greener world, ever more important due to the greater effects of climate change.”

Roisin Taylor, Co-Director of UK Youth for Nature, said: “With the general election on the horizon, now is a critical time for young people to raise our voices, our ambition and our demands for a more nature-rich future. Young people from around the UK will be joining hands across generations on 22nd June to take action against nature loss. We want our elected officials to take note, and finally start taking meaningful action to bring Britain back from the brink and Restore Nature Now.”

  1. Source: The latest State of Nature report, which also showed the UK has lost almost a fifth (19%) of wildlife populations since 1970
     
  2. The Wildlife Trust’s research also showed that almost half of voters (43%) support a nature charity, and of these 61% said they would vote based on the environmental policies offered by candidates, with a further 32% considering doing the same.
     
  • Restore Nature Now is a group of charities, grassroots organisations and individuals concerned about nature, wildlife and climate. The demonstration is being coordinated by organisations which includes: RSPB, WWT, Woodland Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link, WWF-UK, National Trust, Extinction Rebellion and Team Packham. The demonstration is being supported by dozens of wide-ranging groups.
     

This is an inclusive and legal event, with protecting and restoring our natural world a cause close to the hearts of many. Any organisations that plan to attend or support the demonstration, and adhere to its guidelines, are welcome to add their name to the list of supporters.