At the end of September 2023, the latest State of Nature Report was published.
Over the past year, the report has remained a great resource for understanding the state of nature in the UK. The facts and figures continue to be the most up-to-date and comprehensive data available and the report’s dedicated website is still active and frequently accessed, serving as an important tool for conservationists, policymakers, and the general public.
In addition to this, the report has been influential in shaping high-impact decisions. Most recently, John Swinney, first minister for Scotland, announced in the Programme for Government on 4 September, a Natural Environment Bill which includes a framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. This is a significant development in challenging times and had been a long-standing advocacy and campaigning effort. During his speech, the First Minister directly referenced and name-checked the State of Nature in Scotland Report 2023, which is a great example of the report’s role in driving meaningful environmental progress.
The State of Nature Reports are developed through a collaboration of over 60 partners, from conservation NGOs, research institutes, and statutory nature conservation bodies.
This Partnership works together to assess the state of the UK’s wildlife, and to understand this in the light of the pressures on nature and the responses being made to recover our natural heritage.
In the year since the report’s launch, it is great to see that it continues to have far-reaching impacts.