Many are voicing their concerns about preserving our green spaces and grasslands, and these concerns are not only justified, but also crucial. The UK has already lost 97 per cent of its meadows and other species-rich grasslands.
The government must recognise the importance of protecting our grasslands, meadows and natural habitats as a means of tackling climate change effectively. For all of my time in parliament I have argued for stronger and broader environmental protections and I will continue to do so. I will always be a supporter of our natural environment.
Similarly, there has been widespread concern about the killing of wildlife and the threat posed to our biodiversity. We need legal protection of the natural world, and in every major planning and investment decision we make we should take on board the need to enhance our protections of biodiversity and recognise we must live as one with nature.
You’ll find my name on Tracy Crouch’s excellent EDM (Early Day Motion) 335, alongside 45 others:
Protecting Grasslands at COP26 and beyond.
“That this House recognises that species-rich grasslands offer ways of reducing the impact of greenhouse gases that cause climate change by reducing flooding risk, locking up pollutants and acting as critical ecosystems for pollinators and supporting sustainable and resilient farming; regrets that in the last 100 years the UK alone has lost 97 per cent of its meadows and other species-rich grasslands leading to bumblebee extinctions and butterfly population declines; welcomes the formation of Grasslands+, a growing coalition that has come together to protect and restore the planet’s grasslands, savannahs, plains, heaths, steppes and meadows; urges Government Ministers to use the opportunity of COP26 in Glasgow to seek international recognition and protections for species-rich grasslands, to lead by example in taking action to mitigate the effects of climate change and increase biodiversity and to ensure that those areas of natural beauty are preserved for future generations to enjoy.” Under my leadership the opposition’s environmental manifesto planned to set legally binding targets to drive the restoration of species and habitats. This included properly funding local councils to enable them to breathe new life into local nature reserves, parks and networks. You may be interested in reading my piece on the environment, uplands and wildlife. It can be found here: https://jeremycorbyn.org.uk/our-environment-uplands-and-wildlife-12-october-2021/
