The most important global summit for nature in decades – the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as COP15 – starts in Canada on 7th December. What happens there will directly affect wildlife in Cornwall.

The conference comes at a time when the latest study suggests the Earth’s wildlife has plummeted by almost 70% in the last 50 years. The state of nature in Cornwall is not much better and recent Government action and inaction threatens to make a bad situation even worse. This will diminish the UK’s power to negotiate.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – and in Cornwall, wildlife has suffered over recent decades for a number of reasons. Between 2002-2019, Cornwall’s human population grew by almost 13%, leading to more development. Consumer demand has meant that much of Cornwall’s farmland – 75% of Cornwall – has been farmed more intensively. Climate change means the average temperature in the county has increased by nearly 1°C in last 35 years.

Read our guide to COP15

Unfortunately, the Government’s Retained EU Law Bill threatens to remove vital wildlife protections before they can be replaced, whilst the targets they propose to set for nature’s recovery are not ambitious enough. In missing its own deadline for finalising and publishing these targets, the Government risks going into COP15 without a plan to stand behind.

Matt Walpole, Chief Executive of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “Bold action is needed to tackle the twin nature and climate crises at COP15. The next eight years need be ones of dramatic improvement for nature in order to fulfil the proposal to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 – something that the UK has already promised to do.

“In Cornwall we are working hard to restore nature – to help wildlife recover and to help us mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. But recent Government decisions – as well as lack of action in other areas – undermine nature’s ability to recover.

“We believe, for example, that diluting plans to support nature-friendly farming would be devastating. Healthy nature and secure food production go hand in hand – our farm advisors at Cornwall Wildlife Trust see this every day in their work with farmers. Our specialist staff work to support farmers, working together to benefit long-term food production and biodiversity.

“We need to see the Government set out far more ambitious targets for nature if it’s to keep its commitment to pass the environment on in a better state to the next generation.

“Shockingly, the Government’s current proposed targets could mean even less wildlife in 20 years’ time than we have now. We want to see a truly ‘world leading’ target that aims to leave the next generation with more nature – not less.”

Cornwall Wildlife Trust wants to see the UK Government take the following action:

• Set ambitious targets to restore the abundance of nature at home. The Government is due to publish their Environment Act targets – but current proposals could mean even less wildlife in 20 years’ time than there is now. We want to see a target to increase species abundance by at least 20% by 2042, compared to 2022 levels.
• Help set ambitious global targets to halt and reverse catastrophic declines in habitat and wildlife by 2030 at COP15.
• Scrap the Retained EU Law Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, because it threatens the laws which protect wild places and species across the UK from the Scottish highlands to the Isles of Scilly.

The Wildlife Trusts declared an ambition to help the UK reach the 30 by 30 goal two years ago and have since begun a number of new projects to help nature recover.

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