In 2020 the government pledged to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 – the ‘30×30’ target. Two years on and they have made woeful progress. What can we, as citizens, do to challenge this inaction? We speak to Kate Jennings, Head of Site Conservation and Species Policy for the RSPB and Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link; a coalition of over 60 environmental organisations and author of the report “Nature 2030 – Habitats”.
Our guests:
Dr Richard Benwell is a leading environmental expert and campaigner and CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link. Richard has spent many years fighting for stronger laws to stop climate change and create a better environment for everyone. He is Director of the UK Youth For Nature and Chair of Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Partnership. He has worked in the House of Commons as a Parliamentary Clerk, spearheaded and won green campaigns to save nature with two of the UK’s best loved wildlife charities and been a policy advisor at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Kate Jennings is the Head of Site Conservation and Species Policy for the RSPB, leading on the development and promotion of RSPB policy on species conservation and on national and international protected areas systems, and their implementation in the UK. She is also a member of the UK IUCN Protected Areas Working Group. Prior to joining the RSPB in 2008, Kate worked for English Nature and Natural England as the senior conservation officer on the Humber Estuary and as their national site designation specialist.
Links mentioned in the podcast:
The Lost Decade report – which looks at the failure to meet the last set of global targets
Natural Parks report – polling views of those inside and outside National Parks and AONBs in England
Unchecked – work on mandate (or not) for deregulation