Bittern - Jamie Hall
General Election
Speak up for nature in this general election!
You can ensure that nature and climate are given the priority they deserve by contacting your local candidates and using your vote for nature.
The next general election will be held on Thursday 4th July and is an incredibly important moment for wildlife and wild landscapes. The UK is classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries and the next government will be responsible for turning this around.
So many people across Suffolk care about nature and are worried about the climate crisis. Therefore we at Suffolk Wildlife Trust have created local 'Manifestos for Nature' and gathered resources on this webpage that anyone can use to speak up for nature in this general election.
Our 5 asks for the next UK Government
Bring back the UK's lost wildlife
The next UK Government must work across departments to put nature into recovery by protecting and restoring at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Currently only 8% of land in Suffolk is legally protected for wildlife. A nature recovery network should join up wild places, and damaging fishing practices – such as bottom trawling – must be banned.
End river pollution and water scarcity
With the UK among the worst countries in Europe for water quality, the next UK Government must sufficiently fund enforcement agencies to do their job. None of Suffolk’s rivers currently meet Government targets for good water quality and ecological health. By 2030, nutrient pollution from farming, sewage and development must be halved, there must be stronger protections for waterways and more wetlands should be created to tackle flood and drought.
Fund wildlife-friendly farming
The destruction of nature and impacts of climate change are the biggest threats to food security in the UK. More than 70% of land in Suffolk is farmed and farmers are the custodians of nature in the countryside. They must be supported and incentivised to help wildlife recover by creating more space for nature, significantly reducing pollution, and halving harm from pesticides by 2030. The budget for nature-friendly farming should increase to at least £4.4 billion a year.
Enable healthy communities
More than a third of the population – nearly 9.5 million households in England – are unable to access green places near their home, and even in a rural county like Suffolk lots of people still have poor access to nature where they live. The next UK Government must support the creation of more nature-rich greenspace in neighbourhoods, fund and integrate green prescribing into community-based health services and enable all children to access outdoor learning opportunities.
Tackle the climate emergency
All of Suffolk’s local authorities have declared climate emergencies and several have adopted the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Nature can make a huge contribution to achieving net-zero targets if habitats are restored because peatlands, woodlands, and other wild places store carbon. Additionally, the next UK Government must integrate climate adaptation strategies across all departments, create a nature recovery network to help wildlife adapt to change, protect blue carbon stores from damage, and invest in energy efficiency.
What you can do
Image credit: Environment Agency
1. Read your local Nature Manifesto
We have created a series of Nature Manifestos that address our five asks for each constituency in Suffolk. Use the buttons below to download the relevant Nature Manifesto for your local area:
Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket Central Suffolk & North Ipswich Ipswich Lowestoft South Suffolk Suffolk Coastal Waveney Valley West Suffolk
Restore Nature Now march on Parliament Square in London - Jack Cripps
2. Email your candidates
Tell your local candidates why wildlife matters to you and to urge your next MP to make nature and climate a priority. The more people who contact their candidates, the stronger nature's voice is to our future MPs.
Little owls - Russell Savory
3. Use your vote for nature
This general election is an incredibly important moment for wildlife and wild landscapes. The UK is classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries and the next government will be responsible for turning this around.
Which canidadate or party do YOU think has the best policies for nature and climate?