National Trust pledges support to restore Britain’s built environment
The governing body of protected sites has become the latest organisation to announce its backing of the Climate and Nature Bill.
In October Dr Roz Savage introduced the Climate and Nature Bill into the House of Commons. The proposed law aims to upgrade UK legislation in line with the most up-to-date science to ensure the UK meets its two internationally-agreed environmental commitments – to reduce emissions and halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.
The latter has proved extremely appealing to the National Trust as they have become the 12th organisation to back the Bill. Other supporters include The National Federation of Women’s Institutes, Friends of the Earth, Ecotricity, The Wildlife Trusts, The Co-operative Bank, Oxfam, CPRE, British Rowing, Greenpeace, The National Education Union and The Doctors’ Association UK.
News of the National Trusts’ support has come ahead of the Bill’s second reading which is due to take place on 24th January 2020.
At the hearing the Bill requires at least 102 MPs to vote for it in order for it to progress to its committee stage. Currently, the proposed law has the backing of 187 cross-party MPs from all the main parties, as well as 64 peers, 1,200 climate and conservation scientists, and 372 local councils across the UK.
Jamie Russell, who proposed the successful Climate and Nature Bill motion at the National Trusts’ annual meeting, said: ‘It’s wonderful to see The National Trust getting behind this vital and timely legislation to ensure that the UK properly gets to grips with the climate and nature crisis. As a long-standing National Trust member, I know the amazing work the Trust does protecting our heritage and our green spaces. By backing the Climate and Nature Bill the Trust and its 5.4 million members have shown that they are committed to preserving our future, as well as our past.’
Dr Roz Savage MP added: ‘I’m delighted that The National Trust has joined the huge and growing list of backers for the Climate and Nature Bill. It’s abundantly clear to me that restoring Britain’s natural assets, our woods, soils, and rivers, is absolutely key to addressing our climate crisis and the catastrophic decline in populations of our insects, birds, and mammals.
‘I rowed, alone, across three oceans to raise awareness of our environmental issues, and the CAN Bill is our big chance to bring that mission to Parliament. I’d really like to ask National Trust members to write to their MPs and ask them to vote for the CAN Bill on 24 January. This is the law we’ve been waiting for.’
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