Redbridge council's declaration of a nature emergency is a welcome step forward but the test will come with resourcing and implementation

A nature emergency has now been called in Redbridge. At the last council meeting, I presented Wanstead Climate Action's 1,725 signature petition calling on the council to declare a nature emergency. A Labour Party motion was then passed, committing to take measures to address the emergency. The decline in biodiversity has seen 19% of wildlife lost since 1970 and one in six species threatened with extinction. The petition, debate and final passing of the motion, was certainly a step forward. The proof will now come in the process and resourcing committed to attain that goal. When the climate emergency was passed in 2019, a corporate panel was established, which took evidence and came up with recommendations for implementation. A plan emerged, climate was at last on the agenda in Redbridge. On biodiversity, things moved more slowly. There was a Nature and Environment Task & Finish Group that similarly took evidence and came up with recommendations. Progress has been made on some of these, like tree planting and grow zones, but on others areas very little. A green urban policy was also adopted. Conservation officer, Francis Castro was a great help in drawing up this report but he left in 2023. There is a concern with the latest emergency motion that proper process and resourcing is provided in order that the stated goals can be attained. Otherwise, the motion just becomes a list of vague aspirations. Volunteers have done much over the years to address biodiversity and climate challenges in the borough: adopting tree pits, pollinator pathways, tree planting and litter picking. This has driven things forward. But it cannot all be about volunteer labour. The demand going forward is that a plan to address the nature emergency is established and resourced. A proper plan will be bench marked, setting specific targets like recovering 30% of council land for nature by 2030 and getting 30% rather than 20% biodiversity net gain in large new developments. New developments should have a minimum of 30% tree cover, with an increase on existing estates where tree cover is low. Moves for more wetlands in the borough need to progress. The long overdue Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation review must be done as a matter of urgency, then enacted. (This was a recommendation of the Nature and Environment report) So, a promising start has been made but the proof will come in delivery. Otherwise some may think this is all a bit of green washing ahead of the council elections in May. This is surely not the case, something that residents will be able to test when party manifestos are published and wanna-be councillors come knocking on their doors over the next three months. The present momentum must continue into the new council elected in May, which should have the basis of a blueprint and funding sources identified to take an ambitious plan for nature forward.