With the climate and nature crisis showing no signs of letting up, legislation needs to be made and enforced in order to protect our planet from further damage. But are current policies working sufficiently to reverse the effects of climate change and nature loss?
According to the State of Nature Report 2023, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The study found that the UK has seen a drastic loss of its wildlife, which stems from centuries of habitat loss, development and persecution.
As emissions rise and biodiversity depletes, the UK faces mounting pressure to act. The proposed climate and nature bill seeks to address this.
The climate and nature bill: the backstory
The climate and nature bill, formerly known as the climate and ecology bill, has been before the UK parliament as a private members’ bill since 2020. It was first presented by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and was reintroduced by Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage in October 2024. According to Zero Hour website, “The [climate and nature bill] is a legally binding mission statement which will deliver integrated, science-led and people powered action to tackle the climate and nature crisis.”
Zero Hour, the driving force behind the climate and nature bill, has been advocating for this comprehensive legislation to jointly address the UK’s climate and biodiversity decline. Founded as a campaign to promote the CAN bill, Zero Hour collaborates with scientists, experts and policymakers to drive environmental change. Its ‘Back the climate and nature bill‘ campaign has gained over 72,000 citizen supporters, along with over 190 cross-party MPs, peers, local councils, over 900 organisations, leading scientists, and city mayors, including Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham.
The aims of the climate and nature bill
The climate and nature bill is designed to introduce targeted climate goals to lower emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, restore ecosystems and establish a community-led Climate and Nature Assembly.
It has four primary objectives:
- Achieving climate and nature targets. The bill aims to ensure that the UK complies with its internationally agreed climate and nature goals, ensuring that efforts towards combating climate change and protecting biodiversity are science-led and community-driven.
- Implementing a comprehensive strategy. The bill assigns the Secretary of State the responsibility to develop strategies that include an integrated approach to tackling climate and nature issues.
- Establishing a Climate and Nature Assembly. This assembly would advise the Secretary of State in formulating climate strategies to ensure public involvement and representation in decision-making processes.
- Assigning duties to advisory bodies which aim to designate roles for the Committee on Climate Change and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee concerning the strategy and targets, ensuring government accountability and expert-led guidance.
The climate and nature bill aims to deliver legally binding, publicly accountable, and scientifically-backed action to tackle the UK’s climate and nature crisis.
Recent parliamentary developments
Debated at its second reading in January 2025, the bill was adjourned and not pushed to a vote following a deal between the bill’s sponsors, ministers and Labour backbenchers. During the debate, the bill faced opposition from ministers who sought to remove clauses that required the UK to adhere to international climate agreements. Ultimately, a last-minute deal was made, which led to no vote on the bill itself, only on the adjournment.
Speaking to The Guardian, supporters of the climate and nature explained that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, had made concessions to Labour backbenchers, including statements regarding government progress towards international climate targets within six months. Additionally, the concessions included a consultation with the bill’s supporters about upcoming environmental legislation and meetings between Miliband and MPs who are concerned about the evolving climate and nature crisis.
Environmental groups have criticised the decision to shelve the bill, arguing that it weakened the bill’s ambition and signalled a step back in the UK’s environmental leadership.
Will the UK government rise to the challenge?
The climate and nature bill represents a bold attempt to address the climate crisis and the UK’s declining biodiversity. However, political compromises and opposition have put its future in jeopardy. While concessions have been made, environmental groups and supporters of the bill have raised concerns about the government’s commitment to meaningful climate action.
The second reading of the bill is scheduled to continue in the House of Commons on Friday 11 July; there, its fate will be debated again. But the parliament website notes that “the bill is unlikely to progress any further”. The coming months will determine whether the UK takes decisive steps towards environmental restoration or continues to delay urgent reforms.
As the climate and nature crisis continues to accelerate, the question remains: will policymakers rise to the challenge, or will the shelving of this bill represent another missed opportunity?
