Floods, financial fears, and furious farmers have marked the start of this year and it’s already clear that the environmental crises facing the UK have never been greater. Communities are under water and the Office for Environmental Protection has warned that green goals are under threat. A week ago we were told that 2024 was the warmest year on record and that 2024 was the first year with temperatures 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Gloomy news indeed.

As the Chancellor demands that regulators tasked with protecting nature ‘tear down the barriers’ to growth, she appears unaware of the critical role nature plays in the UK. Nature protections are not blocking the UK’s success – they underpin our economy and make us safer. A nation that undermines nature is a house of cards with shaky foundations.

The Wildlife Trusts have identified five areas where we believe political action can have the most significant impact on nature recovery – and which would also solve a raft of other related problems at the same time. From planning reform to the next Environmental Improvement Plan, it is vital that the UK Government improves its focus on supporting nature-friendly farmers, restoring fresh waters and making us more resilient to the climate crisis. It must recognise that the nature and climate crises are the biggest long-term threats to economic growth.