England failing to progress on COP16 nature goals

England has stalled or is going backwards on many of its international targets to stop or reverse the collapse of biodiversity, conservationists have warned (£). 

A coalition of groups including the RSPB, the National Trust, and the Zoological Society of London issued the warning ahead of next week’s COP16 UN conference in Cali, Colombia, on stopping extinctions and habitat destruction.

The group found that England was not on course to fully meet any of its biodiversity goals, and on tackling chemicals and the effects of climate change on nature it was going backwards. 

The UK won’t be the worst heel-dragger at the COP, however. The conference was supposed to be the deadline for countries to submit their plans for meeting the biodiversity targets agreed in Montreal in 2022, including protecting 30% of land and sea for nature. In fact, around 80% of countries have failed to submit these plans. 

If, like me, you find all that a bit depressing, I’d recommend this upbeat new piece from the Conversation about the role that major cities can and are playing in restoring biodiversity and making space for nature.