Matt Browne
@MattRCBrowne
Head of Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts
Yesterday at Portcullis House, we joined forces with @WWF_UK and @WildlifeTrusts to spotlight our Blue Carbon Mapping Project and its vital policy asks. Thanks to @annagelderd MP for sponsoring & chairing a great discussion, and to the MPs and peers who joined us.
Farming and nature orgs are standing together to defend the ag budget. Cuts to it would be disastrously short-sighted, threatening the future of farming, nature's recovery and the environmental underpinning of the wider economy.
'Investment from the government today enables food production, successful farming and a thriving environment for the future'. NFU President Tom Bradshaw (@ProagriLtd) is joined by leaders from nature and farming organisations including @WildlifeTrusts @Natures_Voice @CLAtweets…
The past 66 years have seen ragwort demonised and removed in great swathes. It’s time to end the war on wildflowers. Especially as ragwort supports 100+ insect species, 27 of which rely on it exclusively. Read more 👇 wtru.st/4lKVUJs
Brilliant news - great that Government has listened to the evidence about the damage lead pollution does to wildlife
HUGE NEWS - lead ammunition to be banned in outdoor shooting 🎆 This will stop a huge suffering of wildlife, & contamination of our countryside🦢 Government must now move fast on the law, & follow up by matching the EU on phasing out more toxic chemicals…
Want to help save and enhance nature locally? Respond to government consultation on BNG - biodiversity net gain - which is worryingly being watered down. Wildlife Trusts is leading on this action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/173184/ac…
We weren't sure whether to post this thread. But we decided to be honest about how tough it is to be a small charity working on climate right now. If you just want to do something to help, click here: wearepossible.org/climatethousand If you want to read a bit more, here's a 🧵
New briefing on the Planning Bill below. Delighted to see strong cross-party opposition to the clauses that make up Part 3 in today's amendment paper:
🚨 The Lords will start reviewing the #PlanningBill in detail on 17 July. Peers have proposed welcome changes to stop Part 3 from damaging nature.💡 📄 Read our briefing, making the case for Part 3 to be scrapped: wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/…
Can we drive down the cost of living by flooding the economy with supply? Abundance sounds seductive, but sometimes enough is enough. Me for the @NewStatesman: newstatesman.com/spotlight/sust…
A year on from the inspirational Restore Nature Now march, where are we with nature policy in Westminster? Some musings on cold winds, old chestnuts and a few hope-inducing swallows wildlifetrusts.org/blog/p/nature-…
One year on from #RestoreNatureNow & the General Election we’re reflecting on progress for nature & the promises made by Government🦋 In our new blog we outline the action still needed, from nature friendly farming to making sure polluters pay👩🌾🪙 wcl.org.uk/restore-nature…
Its an overcast outlook for Defra, but the protection of the Enviromental Land Management budget is a real ray of sunshine amidst the gloom
Today’s @GOVUK Spending Review sets the course for future funding. We welcome the protection of nature-friendly farming support- vital for wildlife & rural communities. But day-to-day @DefraGovUK spending has been cut, and risks to nature remain. (1/2)
Environmental protections do not stifle the building of new homes ❌ We've called out the inaccuracies in the Commons debate yesterday on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill 👇 wildlifetrusts.org/news/wildlife-…
Excellent news from @SteveReedMP @DefraGovUK today on plan to end the hugely destructive practice of #BottomTrawling in England's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) A very important step that will, finally, give a chance for nature to start to recover in English seas #ThankYou
The Wildlife Trusts briefing for Commons Report stage of the Planning Bill has been published here: wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/… Should be a fascinating two days of Report stage debate next week! Rising demands from MPs from all parties to fix this flawed legislation for nature.
🚨BREAKING NEWS!🚨 5⃣0⃣ - Over 50 environmental groups have joined to demand that the Government increase funding to DEFRA and fully resource the regulators. ✉️ A letter sent to Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer and Chancellor @RachelReevesMP warns that Labour’s credibility on…
We stood with MPs together outside Parliament in support of the #SaveOurChalkStreams campaign Urge your MP to back Amendment 70 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Let’s make sure chalk streams get the protection they desperately need Find out more: hiwwt.org.uk/news/mps-back-…
Chalk streams are beautiful & teem with wildlife – but they're under threat. Today we joined a cross-party group of MPs including @CHinchliffMP in Parliament to back proposals to better protect these precious freshwaters. Read more 👇 wildlifetrusts.org/planning-and-i… #planningbill
70% of UK land is farmed. If we want nature to recover, this is where it happens. Farmers like @herdyshepherd1 are already doing it – farming with wildlife, not against it. But without proper funding, we risk losing it all. @RachelReevesMP: increase funding, grow our future.
V worrying story...if true - all round -slashed ELMS budget not a surprise but bad -potentially very narrow eligibility -idea housebuilding net gain funds will fund farmers to repair argggg =not the clarity & investment farmers, nature or society needs theguardian.com/environment/20…
If the Government won't take basic steps to fix it, and believe us we have tried, then they must scrap part 3 of the PIB
I've tabled two amendments to the Planning & Infrastructure Bill: enforcing an “overall improvement test" or—if govt keep weakening nature protection—striking out Part 3 so they have to rewrite it. Report Stage is in June; the govt must fix the issues with this Bill before then.