At a particularly turbulent time in the political landscape, there is much concern about how the UK Government will meet its promises for nature. Richard Benwell explains the lingering policy-threats to conservation in Britain and sets out the actions the new administration must take if it is to meet commitments to environmental protection.
Over the past decade, the Conservative Government has made enormous environmental promises. In 2010, the Conservative Manifesto pledged to ‘support the strongest protection for endangered species and work to protect vital habitats from destruction’. The 25 Year Environment Plan stated that this would be the first government to leave nature in a better state than they found it.