Saturday, August 2, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Don’t blame the newts? Challenging the false dichotomy of nature vs the economy

February 3, 2025
in News
A A

There was widespread misinformation blaming nature as a blocker to growth in the run up to the Chancellor’s speech last week, writes Joe Keegan, public affairs officer at The Wildlife Trusts.

In 2021 Rachel Reeves announced her ambition to become ‘Britain’s first green chancellor’ – however, recent announcements on planning and airport expansion put this aspiration in jeopardy. The irony of Rachel Reeves’s crusade for growth is that these policies risk undermining the UK’s natural capital – an essential foundation for growth.

Nature is not a blocker to growth
Nature does not block growth – it is the very foundation on which growth is built. Research by PwC found that 47% of the companies on the London Stock Exchange are highly or moderately dependent on nature. The assertion that protecting nature undermines economic growth is simply incorrect; nature is the bedrock upon which the economy is built. The findings of the Dasgupta Review reiterate this view, highlighting the significant economic value of nature.

Healthy ecosystems provide stability for businesses by mitigating risks such as flooding and droughts and filtering pollutants from the air and water; nature provides the stability necessary for business. Beyond these practical benefits, restoring nature also delivers significant well-being and health benefits, which strengthen the foundation for sustainable growth.

If the Government is serious about delivering sustained economic growth, it must recognise and support the natural systems that underpin that growth. Ultimately, supporting nature – and its recovery – is an economic necessity.

It is not a question of newts vs. housing
The Prime Minister and the Housing Secretary suggest that we need to prioritise people’s needs ‘over newts’ in housing policy – but this is a false choice. More homes are badly needed for families and to drive growth – and this doesn’t require trampling over nature in the process.

The assertion that nature is the blocker to new housing developments is reductive and incorrect; in fact, more than 1 million homes granted planning permission since 2015 have not been built, suggesting that unpicking the planning system and weakening environmental regulation will do little to help house building. Instead, reports highlight key skills shortages in the construction industry and material shortages as possible culprits.

This is clearly a multifaceted issue, and blaming beleaguered wildlife such as newts will do little to alleviate the very real housing crisis while aggravating the nature crisis.

Natural habitats play a key role in protecting homes from threats such as flooding. Around 6.3 million properties in England are at risk, and natural solutions like wetlands which hold water back in times of high rainfall – and also support species such as newts – are vital for mitigating these dangers. If environmental protections are weakened, they could ultimately endanger housing developments in the long term.

The Government should focus on tackling the challenges of house building, nature loss and climate change in tandem. A balanced approach will ensure we meet our housing needs without compromising the ecosystems that protect and sustain us.

Planning for bats
Stories about an expensive “bat tunnel” have fuelled frustration over the UK’s perceived inability to deliver major infrastructure projects. But a closer look beyond the rhetoric reveals a cautionary tale: the dangers of ignoring nature in planning decisions from the outset.

Evidence provided to High-Speed Rail (preparation) Bill, over ten years ago, highlighted the need to consider nature conservation in and around the ancient and historic Bernwood Forest and the potential impacts on a colony of incredibly rare bats. Despite these warnings, the Government at the time chose not to conduct a strategic environmental assessment. And so, the initial planning decisions did not fully consider viable alternatives to building infrastructure within Sites of Special Scientific Interest – places that are regarded as the crown jewels of our natural heritage. This led to significant headaches and delays for the developers and government. Avoiding harm to protected sites means no compensation is required.

The UK undoubtedly needs major infrastructure projects to meet the government’s objectives. Integrating nature into the planning process from the beginning – using tools like the mitigation hierarchy – would save time, money and reduce legal challenges so helping to address the very blockages the government now laments. And ditching those projects, such [as] airport expansion, which would contribute to the climate and nature crises, is critical if we are to get back on track to meet our climate goals and halt, then reverse, nature’s decline.

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

News

Landfill Tax reforms could trigger shortage of aggregates, says trade group

August 1, 2025
News

EA sets out pathway for sustainable growth in England’s industrial hubs

July 30, 2025
News

Scientists issue urgent call ahead of final plastics treaty talks

July 28, 2025
News

Water’s hour of reckoning? Highlights from the Cunliffe review

July 25, 2025
News

With new grid tech, the UK can reduce the likelihood of blackouts and provide smarter energy supply

July 24, 2025
News

UK demonstration of hydrogen storage using LOHCs is a world-first

July 23, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

The Pope Led Notre Dame Toward Decarbonization. He Hasn’t Influenced the School’s Alabama Coal Investment

January 21, 2025

Rollbacks Gut Environmental Justice Gains, Former EPA Official Says

March 10, 2025

Don't miss it

Fossil Fuels

BLM Calls New Oil and Gas Rules ‘Noncontroversial,’ Exempts Them From Public Comment

August 1, 2025
Fossil Fuels

EPA Delays Compliance with Methane Rule, Fulfilling Oil and Gas Industry’s Request

July 31, 2025
Energy

Solar and Batteries Lead US Power Plant Additions by a Lot. How Does This Square With the Trump Administration’s Agenda?

July 31, 2025
Fossil Fuels

The Biggest US LNG Exporter Is Claiming a Massive Tax Credit for Using Its Cargo as an ‘Alternative’ Fuel

July 31, 2025
Activism

New York Climate Activists Are a Key Part of Zohran Mamdani’s Mayoral Campaign

July 31, 2025
Energy

Hundreds of Old EV Batteries Have New Jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the Grid

July 30, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

BLM Calls New Oil and Gas Rules ‘Noncontroversial,’ Exempts Them From Public Comment

August 1, 2025

Landfill Tax reforms could trigger shortage of aggregates, says trade group

August 1, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.