Today on Friday May 21st we are joining campaigners, organisations and independent businesses across our city in declaring a nature emergency for Sheffield.
Biodiversity across the UK is declining. Without urgent action 13% of species in England are threatened with extinction and we must face up to the fact that our iconic wildlife and plantlife is under threat [1].
Our natural world is staggering from the impact of habitat degradation, urbanisation, pollution, agricultural practices and climate change – all contributing to widespread disruption to the survival and distribution of native species.
To tackle the climate crisis, we need to re-wild and restore the natural world. Emissions cuts must be matched with ambitious action to fix our broken ecosystems, so that they can help to stabilise our climate [2].
Healthy ecosystems can also help to protect communities from flooding, coastal erosion, air pollution and even disease. Restoring wild places is good for us, as time spent outdoors connecting with nature can support our health and wellbeing.
Sheffield has a proud history and bright future as the UK’s outdoor city. We are passionate about our radical history of environmental protest and our wonderful parks, rivers and peaks. By taking action locally we can lead the way in creating a city where people and nature can thrive alongside one another.
Join us in declaring a nature emergency and planting the seeds of change right here in our own back-yard.
One of the first actions of the newly appointed Green Executive members is to support declaring a Nature Emergency.
Cllr Alison Teal, Executive Member for Sustainable Neighbourhoods, Wellbeing, Parks and Leisure, said:
“We strongly support declaring a nature emergency for many reasons. The climate crisis and pace of modern development undoubtedly has a huge impact on our natural world, with many wildlife and plants suffering the consequences.
“It’s encouraging to see so much public support for nature and our environment, and we will look to bring a motion to council at the earliest opportunity to declare a Nature Emergency.”
Cllr Douglas Johnson, Executive Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport added:
“The groundswell of concern in the public, matched by the knowledge and expertise of campaign groups means that now is the right time to focus on the loss of biodiversity. Formally declaring a Nature Emergency is a spur to move on with a plan of action to address this.”
Cllr Peter Garbutt said:
“The Climate Emergency threatens our way of life, that’s well known. Less well known is the Ecological Emergency, equally as threatening, and intertwined with the former. The way we mistreat nature means floods are more likely, food will be harder to grow, and our beautiful green spaces will wither away.”
“Declaring an emergency is a necessary first step to putting actions in place to help stop the decline, and I’m very pleased we’re doing this today. It signals plenty of hard work ahead.”
Sign the Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust petition and find out how to support the campaign:
[1] State of Nature Report, National Biodiversity Network
