Vote for a wilder Yorkshire

The most important General Election in a generation is looming – will you help us stand up for wildlife and give nature a voice in 2024?

Why is this General Election so important?

We have a vital opportunity between now and 2030 to restore nature, and to tackle and adapt to a changing climate. The next parliament will be in power for most of that time, making this the most important election of our time for the issues that matter to us. We need to give Yorkshire’s nature a voice and show politicians of all parties that thousands of us will vote on the strength of nature and climate policies.

Is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust allowed to get involved?

The simple answer to this is yes. Guidance from the Charity Commission is very clear that we can get involved in politics providing the activities we carry out support our charitable purposes. However, you will see us staying independent – we do not support a particular political party or encourage people to vote a certain way. This is about politics and policies, not party politics.

What is our approach to this election?

We want you to feel informed and have the confidence to have the important conversations with local candidates, to give Yorkshire’s nature a voice and to show politicians of all parties that nature and climate change matters.

What should I ask?

Here are five critical questions to ask your local constituency candidates, which will help you give nature a voice;

#our-questions

Our questions to candidates

How are you going to actively support nature’s recovery in Yorkshire?

We’re looking for: Engaging with conservation organisations, encouraging local councils to do more, and speaking up for nature in parliament.

How will you hold those polluting Yorkshire’s rivers and seas to account?

We’re looking for: Working with Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency, and calling on the government to take action.

How will you ensure nature friendly farming is economically viable for everyone?

We’re looking for: Calling on the government to properly fund nature friendly farming to make it a viable option.

What actions are you taking on the climate emergency?

We’re looking for: Investing in renewable energy production in approriate areas and reducing the levels of carbon being emmitted.

How will you help everyone in your constituency to access and enjoy nature locally?

We’re looking for: Working with local councils to ensure there are enough high quality green spaces for everyone to access easily.

The upcoming election will be crucial for the future viability of life on our planet, yet some politicians have failed to grasp the depth of concern over disappearing wildlife and the impacts of climate change. Politicians and political parties will be judged by the electorate, and by history, on whether their plans can meet the scale of the challenge to halt the decline of
nature and halve emissions by the end of the decade.

Elliot Chapman-Jones
Head of Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts

What do we want to see from the next government?

Duke of Burgundy perched on a leaf — Duke of Burgundy butterfly has declined by 35%

Bring back Yorkshire’s lost wildlife

Yorkshire’s nature is declining at a speed never previously seen and shows no sign of slowing. Nature is vital to us all – for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the space to help us feel secure, happy, and healthy.

It is no longer enough to just protect the wildlife that remains – we need the next UK Government to align across departments to put nature into recovery, on land and at sea, by the end of the next parliament. This could be though a commitment to deliver the Local Nature Recovery Strategies currently in development.

Tackle river and costal pollution

The UK is ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality and we are working hard to restore rivers where we can, but with pollution from sewage and agricultural chemicals beyond legal limits, everything down stream, including the sea, is being affected. We still have a long way to go. Our rivers are no longer suitable homes for wildlife, they are not fit for people to swim in, and thanks to climate change and growing demand, we are seeing water availability decrease before our eyes.

If we were to invest in regenerative farming methods to reduce the amount of chemicals used, improving the sewage management infrustructure, and better upstream water management to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed, we could begin to see some real changes. This is a crisis – and one we want to see urgently resolved.

A water vole nibbling on a blade of grass — Water voles are of high conservation concern in Yorkshire

Fund nature friendly farming

By supporting farmers to shift towards regenerative, nature-friendly methods, and with over 70% of UK land used for farming, there is huge potential to deliver a green rural renewal.

A healthy natural environment is essential to the UK’s food security. Food production relies on healthy soils, clean water, and resilience to climate change. But industrialised farming and inappropriate land management practices are one of the main causes of wildlife declines, as well as the leading cause of river pollution in England. However, many farmers and land managers have gone to great lengths to support wildlife without being adequately rewarded – something that needs to change as not investing properly means everyone loses.

Enable healthy communities

Right now, poor quality living conditions are damaging people’s health and cutting lives short, but improving access to natural, wildlife-rich places will transform people’s lives, improving health, happiness, and hope across communities. To bring about healthy and sustainable communities, we’re calling on all political parties to commit to a cross Government fund to grow community based health services.

Tackle the climate emergency

We are in a climate and nature emergency, and the two are inextricably linked. Climate change is driving nature’s decline, and the loss of wildlife and wild places leaves us ill-equipped to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to these changes. One crisis cannot be solved without the other. The UK has a legal target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Nature can make a massive contribution to achieving this — but only if our damaged ecosystems are restored. Climate change is impacting wildlife in the UK now, and we need a much more ambitious strategy to help nature adapt and give wildlife room to move.