The first-ever Wild Summit took place in Bristol on Thursday, bringing together 1,200 people to demand faster action to halt nature’s decline by 2030.
Hosted by Wildlife and Countryside Link at the Bristol Beacon, the sell-out event gathered charities, green businesses, campaigners and policymakers for a full day of talks and workshops.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mary Creagh announced measures to tighten emergency authorisations of banned pesticides, ensuring that risks to pollinators such as bees are fully considered.
“Without healthy nature our communities and our economies cannot thrive. Emergency authorisations for pesticides must now fully take into account the risks pesticides pose to pollinators including bees. Every action we take brings us closer to a country where nature thrives in harmony with communities.”
Mary Creagh MP
The call for action comes as Wildlife and Countryside Link released a report showing that only 6% of UK land is properly protected for nature, compared with a Government target of 30% by 2030.
Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “Reversing nature’s decline by 2030 is a huge challenge that needs Government, land managers, businesses and investors to work harder and work together.”
Speakers included Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Baroness Professor Kathy Willis, Tony Juniper, Ruth Davis and Hilary McGrady.
