Kent Wildlife Trust call on UK Government to be world leader on climate at COP27 by taking urgent action to restore nature at home

It has been a bleak countdown to the international climate conference, COP27, which starts in Egypt on Sunday. In the 12 months since COP26, the global and national mood has flipped from cautious optimism to fear and division. In the UK alone, we’ve seen the following since COP26: 
 

• Temperatures over 40˚C recorded for the first time ever. Habitats became hostile places for wildlife, animals suffered heat stress and retreated wherever they could to shaded, wooded or damp areas. Swifts fell out of the sky, trees shed leaves, bumblebees were grounded.  
• Dangerous fires on heath, grassland and farmland – equal to 30,000 football pitches – have been burnt so far this year. Some of our most precious habitats such as heathlands were destroyed; wildlife was unable to escape including silver studded blue butterflies, adders and the young of ground-nesting birds such as nightjar. 
• Drought across much of the UK, with the driest July on record in South East England. Rivers ran dry leaving dead fish and amphibians, and grey herons, otters, water voles and kingfishers struggling to find food. Ponds and lakes dried-up and plants died – the subsequent lack of nectar affected insects.  

We cannot address climate change without restoring nature. Natural habitats have a critical role to play in storing carbon and helping us adapt to the inevitable consequences of climate change. To have a global voice, the UK must ensure it is taking the right action at home – especially as we are one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. 

Paul Hadaway, Director of Conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust said: “Whilst COP27 plays out on an international stage, the issues discussed there have a significant impact on people in Kent. The State of Nature in Kent Report concluded that by 2040 Kent’s summer months will be two to three degrees hotter on average, that 79% of our lakes and rivers do not meet the required standards of the Water Framework Directive and levels of air pollution are double the average recommended by the World Health Organisation.  

“The UK government has continued to make poorly planned environmental policy announcements, followed by U-turns, which is deeply damaging to confidence in their manifesto commitments. It also makes it very hard for all of those who are committed to sustainable growth, including developers, farmers and conservationists, to work together to ensure that our environment is protected, and climate change mitigated. 

“It is crucial that our leaders use this opportunity to bring about change and help us adapt to the crisis crises we face. Whilst other difficulties faced by the UK may appear to have more immediacy, if we do not have an environment that can sustain life – it is all in vain.”