UK government ‘failing’ on wildlife and countryside commitments

Nature Check report assesses government’s progress on pledges to protect the natural environment The government is failing to deliver on most of its commitments to help wildlife and the countryside, a coalition of leading conservation groups said on Friday. An assessment backed by 29 organisations has used a traffic light system to see whether 16 government pledges on the natural environment are being backed by policies which are well-designed and on track. The Nature Check report criticises the government over a number of controversial policies which conservationists say show ministers are failing to keep their promises on protecting nature. They include the reliance on a badger cull to tackle bovine TB , attempts by ministers to dispose of publicly owned forests to businesses and charities and the current row over changes to the planning system which opponents fear will lead to a return to damaging development in the countryside. Just two of the promises outlined in the government’s coalition agreement have been given a green approval rating in the report published by the Wildlife and Countryside Link umbrella group today. The government has earned the backing of the conservation groups for its action on pledges to oppose the resumption of commercial whaling and to press for a ban on ivory sales . A further seven commitments have been given an amber rating because the groups say ministers are failing to support positive ambition and rhetoric with effective policies. Seven more pledges are given a red light, including promising to reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods more of a say in their local area and to create a presumption in favour of sustainable development in planning. Other areas where the conservation groups say the government is failing to deliver well-designed policies on time include preventing unnecessary building in flood plains and ensuring measures to look after the seas and open access to the coast are implemented effectively. Martin Harper, conservation director of the RSPB, one of the groups in the coalition, said: “These are 16 policy areas where the government has promised tough action, but that is not what we are seeing. “In these financially straitened times politicians may be tempted to ignore the natural environment in favour of economic growth – but this kind of short-termist attitude won’t wash with a British public which expects the government to protect the countryside and wildlife we all hold dear.” He said a healthy natural environment was not “an aspirational luxury for times of plenty”, but was vital for the future wellbeing of the economy and society. Neil Sinden, policy and campaigns director for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the government would not be the greenest ever, as it claimed , if it continued with a “business as usual” approach to economic growth. Wildlife Conservation Green politics guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 13, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.