Campaigning for the environment: The Climate and Nature Bill

The CLA presents this guest article in a non-partisan matter. As a membership organisation, we offer an opportunity for all major political parties to exhibit their ideas to support rural communities.

As the newly-elected MP for the rural South Cotswolds, which straddles the county line between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, I'm writing to let you know about the Climate and Nature Bill that I’m putting before Parliament. As a passionate environmental advocate, and now a late-blooming countrywoman, this is a cause that's deeply personal to me.

For those who may not know my background, I've dedicated the last 20 years to raising awareness about environmental issues, particularly through my ocean rowing expeditions. I've rowed solo across three oceans - the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian - becoming the first woman to row solo across the "big three." These journeys, covering over 15,000 miles during 520 days and nights alone at sea, were incredibly humbling, giving me a real sense of humanity’s insignificance and transience compared with the power of nature.

Now that my seafaring days are mercifully over, and I’m back on dry land in the Cotswolds, I have a deep love for our beautiful rural landscapes, and appreciate the vital role that farmers and landowners play as stewards of our countryside. The rolling hills, ancient woodlands, and picturesque villages of the Cotswolds are a testament to centuries of careful land management and a harmonious relationship between people and nature.

The bill brings together the lessons I've learned from both my oceanic adventures and my experiences in the heart of rural England. This legislation is designed to address the environmental challenges we face while recognising and supporting the crucial role of our farming communities.

The bill sets out three main objectives:

1. Ensure the UK reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
2. Commit to reversing the decline in nature, setting it measurably on the path to recovery by 2030.
3. Establish a Climate and Nature Assembly to give citizens, including our rural communities, a voice in shaping our environmental future.

What sets this bill apart is its holistic approach. It goes beyond our current commitments, pushing for a reversal of biodiversity loss by 2030, not just halting it. This is as crucial for our farmlands and woodlands as it is for our marine environments.

To the members of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), I appeal to you as stewards of our landscapes who play a central role in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

I urge you to write to your MP, asking them to support the Climate and Nature Bill. Share your unique perspectives as landowners and rural business operators. Explain how the changes you've observed in our environment over the years impact your work and communities. Your voices, grounded in generations of experience working with the land, carry significant weight in this debate.

Your support today could make all the difference in shaping the Britain of tomorrow. Grounded in our shared love and respect for our rural heritage, let's work together to create a future where both people and nature can flourish, to create lasting, positive change for the generations to come.