Defra respond – but nature needs action!

A month on from announcing a Butterfly Emergency, we have received a response from Defra, stating that ‘the government is committed to changing existing policies to prevent the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides’ and ‘officials are currently determining the most effective way to implement this commitment.’?

Talk about commitment is not what nature needs.?

The government are not committed enough to immediately ban neonicotinoids, which are already banned in the EU and proven to be harmful. Nor are they committed enough to announce a Nature Emergency, as the UK plummets to the bottom 10% of all countries for biodiversity worldwide as #COP16, the global biodiversity summit, begins.?

So how committed are the government? All we have been given is vague details of yet more unimplemented plans – not the urgent and decisive action the Nature Emergency requires.??

As #COP16 starts, we need the government to lead with strong, action-led leadership to combat the Nature Emergency – global leadership starts with getting it right at home.?

Over 42,000 nature lovers have spoken, and this is our message to Defra as we hand in your signatures this week:?

Butterflies are dying, declare a Nature Emergency and ban harmful neonicotinoid chemicals from our countryside NOW.