Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the protection of uplands.

I support investment in the restoration of a variety of habitats. The Government has said uplands are precious, but I am concerned it is not doing enough to protect native species and that it lacks a serious plan to deliver a recovery for nature.

Protecting biodiversity, halting the decline of nature and restoring habitats and wildlife should be priorities as the keys to tackling the climate emergency.

I believe we need ambitious biodiversity targets. The Government recently introduced to the Environment Bill a requirement for its species abundance target to halt the decline of nature in England by 2030.

However, it has not yet set this target, and I think it should act urgently to set it ahead of COP26 to meet the significant challenge of the nature emergency. I recognise that this target will not be easily reached but believe we must also work to not only halt but also reverse the decline in nature with a dramatic incline in species abundance.

I am concerned about the continued persecution of birds. Species conservation plays a vital role in restoring biodiversity and enabling nature’s recovery and I believe the Government is lacking a strategic approach to conservation through the protection, restoration and creation of habitats over a wide area to meet the needs of individual species under protection.

I also believe we need ambition on reforesting and rewilding. I supported an Opposition amendment to the Environment Bill for a bold, ambitious tree planting strategy in England, as we need more trees and better protections to restore our most vulnerable habitats. However, the Government voted this down. 

More widely, I believe there is an urgent need for a coherent response to the climate and ecological emergency at COP26 in November. Worldwide, unusual weather events show dystopia is here today. The collective ambition to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels must be translated into concrete action with an unequivocal promise to deliver. The world is looking to Britain, as host of the summit, to deliver, but I am concerned there is insufficient action to meet this ambition.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

 Peter Dowd MP