The government wants to restore and expand wildlife habitats
If you love nature, then you might want to consider moving to England. The country has plans to restore and expand wildlife habitats and national nature reserves. The new plans ensure that everyone in England will live within a 15-minute walk of parks, rivers or woodlands.
Plans for restoration
England is making plans to restore and protect the natural environment, something that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says is important for health, economy and the overall well-being of the country. He told BBC: “This plan provides the blueprint for how we deliver our commitment to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, making sure we drive forward progress with renewed ambition and achieve our target of not just halting, but reversing the decline of nature.” The plan that he is talking about, is called the ‘Environmental Improvement Plan’ and it includes several steps to make England greener.
Blueprint
According to BBC, the plans include the expansion of habitats for wildlife and the creation or expansion of national nature reserves. The government will also use money to protect wildlife that is considered rare, like hedgehogs and red squirrels. England is planning to clean the air and water and with that, reduce waste. Therese Coffey, Environment Secretary told the news channel: “Nature is vital for our survival, crucial to our food security, clean air, and clean water as well as health and wellbeing benefits.”
Nature close
Another part of the plans is to bring nature closer to the people. According to the BBC, the Environmental Improvement Plan wants to work towards an England where everyone lives within a 15-minute walk of nature and water. According to Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton, almost three million people in England live over ten minutes away from nature. But with the new plans, that might change.
In 2018, the government made a promise to work on environmental issues and to leave a better world for generations to come. Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Environmental Improvement Plan, told BBC that the plans are to make sure that “the whole of government is acting to halt the chronic loss of nature and tackle this existential threat to our prosperity, our ability to produce food, and to have enough clean water”.
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Source: BBC | Image: Unsplash, Andy Holmes