Nature Check: Appendix
27
Appendix Commitment: We will introduce measures to protect wildlife and promote green spaces and wildlife corridors in order to halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity.69
Commitment: We will make the case for significant reform of the CAP as part of the EU’s negotiations for the period beyond 2013.70
Link criteria Government should publish a Natural Environment White Paper in May 2011 that:
Link criteria Government’s case for a reformed CAP should have biodiversity and landscape at its heart, delivering public money for public goods:
>> sets a new vision and commits to a step change in
>> public money should be used to support sustainable
nature conservation by implementing Making Space for Nature in full; >> sets out how the UK will meet the Nagoya
commitment; >> sets out measures to reconnect people and nature; >> stablishes mechanisms for embedding the value of
nature in our economy and decision making at all levels; >> introduces a framework to facilitate local action for
the natural environment; >> integrates policy and funding to make the most of
every public pound spent. Government should also publish an England Biodiversity Strategy in May 2011 that: >> guarantees biodiversity conservation is given real
political commitment at the highest level with a wide acceptance that this is of equal importance to tackling climate change; >> ensures that accountability for annual progress
towards the EU 2020 biodiversity target resides with the Environment Minister; >> includes a clear definition of what successful
achievement of the 2020 target would look like and a concise set of SMART indicators to assess progress towards it (through transposing Aichi targets to an UK/England level).
agricultural activities and nature conservation priorities in areas where farming has an important role in maintaining landscape character and nature e.g. Natura 2000 sites; >> agriculture should play its part in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, enabling wildlife to better adapt to climate change through the protection of High Nature Value systems and improving the permeability and wildlife-friendliness of the wider countryside; >> money raised through taxation should be spent in an
effective, efficient and transparent way, in particular to counteract the market failure to secure environmental public goods delivery through appropriate land management.
Commitment: We will take forward the findings of the Pitt Review to improve our flood defences, and prevent unnecessary building in areas of high flood risk.71 Link criteria Government should: >> align public and private investment from water
companies and flood risk management to secure a better return on existing public investment. >> protect and restore rivers, lakes, ponds and
wetlands in partnership with local communities: __ By 2012, the Government and its agencies should
encourage partnership in water management by adopting a local catchment scale approach to water quality, water resource and flood risk management;