The scale of loss of complex
natural ecosystems in England and globally could pose an
existential risk to human survival, the Chief Executive of the
Environment Agency will warn today in a major speech (Tuesday
12th
July).
Referencing Rachel Carson’s
1962 book Silent Spring, which detailed the destruction of
wildlife by human actions, Sir will warn that we are closer
than ever to that scenario happening.
In a speech at the Green
Alliance in London, Sir James will launch a major new report by
the Environment Agency on the state of our nature. The report
sets out the shocking evidence of the biodiversity crisis facing
our plants and animals and how since 1970, 41% of our species
have decreased in abundance and 15% of all our native species in
Britain are now threatened with extinction.
The report sets out the
critical role that nature plays in providing the clean water,
climate regulation and food we need to survive and why nature is
important, from ensuring good soil, air and water quality to
storing carbon and providing natural flood management.
Sir will say:
“The loss of meadows,
wetlands, woods - the decline in those precious habitats has had
its inevitable consequence: an equally shocking decline in the
plants and animals that depend on them.
“The position is even worse
for the mammals, birds, butterflies and moths designated as
priority species – those about which we have the greatest
concern. They have declined in abundance overall by 61% since
1970.
“Overall, a quarter of
mammals in England are now threatened with extinction. Let
me say that sentence again in case you missed it: a quarter of
mammals in England are now threatened with extinction. If that
doesn’t make you angry, you haven’t been paying
attention.”
Reflecting on the
importance of halting nature’s decline, he will gone onto
say:
“Here’s why it does matter:
the biodiversity crisis is a crisis because it won’t just kill
the plants and animals it is killing. It will kill us
too.
“That’s because nature is
indivisible and interdependent. Nature provides us with a host of
things we depend upon, such as clean water, clean air and
food.
“No nature, no food. It’s
vital in providing resilience to climate change by absorbing
carbon dioxide, regulating local climatic conditions and
providing flood protection.
“No nature, no climate
shield. And as humans we depend on green and blue spaces for our
own health and well-being. No nature, no us.”
Acknowledging the major impact
that the climate emergency will continue to have on biodiversity,
Sir James will go on to emphasise that while the evidence is
undoubtedly depressing, he is confident that with the right
measures in place the biodiversity crisis can be addressed with a
nature positive approach:
Sir James will
say:
“We could achieve that goal
in this country. We know what we need to do: nurture our
protected species; sustain our protected areas; better protect
wildlife habitats outside those areas; restore our damaged
habitats and create new ones; start to knit together nature
networks across the whole country; build a nature positive
approach into our planning and development; stop the pollution
which damages our habitats; tackle the climate emergency
which is accelerating the biodiversity crisis and vice versa; and
wherever we have a problem, employ nature based solutions as the
default to solving it.”
The Environment Agency is
playing a major role in the use of nature-based solutions,
increasingly looking to make it the default route to combat the
effects of climate change.
Recent major projects include
the Steart Marshes on the Severn Estuary where the Environment
Agency funded the UK’s biggest coastal realignment scheme,
reducing flood risk to 100,000 homes and businesses while
creating 250 hectares of new intertidal habitat.
The agency is also working to
restore and protect habitats, with 1,100 hectares restored last
year. It also uses its role as a statutory planning consultee to
ensure that new developments do not damage the environment, and
through its enforcement action tackles the pollution that affects
wildlife, including by reducing the amount of air and water
pollution from regulated industries.
