The long-term priorities to ensure nature can thrive

DESPITE the ill-informed and damaging rhetoric currently being peddled by some in Government - that nature is somehow a blocker to development - the thinking around just how important nature is to our health and the health of the economy has become much more enlightened down the years.

- By ERIN MCDAID

Creating a greener Nottinghamshire for everyone

A healthy, thriving natural environment underpins all aspects of our economy and wellbeing, from ensuring we have clean air to breathe and water to drink, to supporting food security. We also know that access to wildlife-rich greenspace makes us happier and healthier.

As recognition of the value of nature to society has increased, the focus has necessarily shifted from just trying to protect remaining fragments of wild habitat to measures to put nature into recovery. Securing nature's recovery will take time, commitment and investment and can only be delivered when partners come together and decision-makers make informed and enlightened choices.

Back in 2021, the Environment Act, something we, other Wildlife Trusts and partner organisations fought long and hard to secure, introduced Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) as a new mechanism to help meet the Government's environmental targets. By identifying areas requiring protection and improvement and creating new spatial plans to guide action and investment, LNRS will help deliver Biodiversity Net Gain, another new mechanism introduced in the Environment Act.