The Wildlife Trusts are deeply concerned that nature faces a nightmare before Christmas as the Government prepares to break more promises to the millions of people who care about the decline of the natural world. 

Following the passage of the damaging Planning & Infrastructure Bill, the Government looks set – next week – to abandon its election commitment to ensure ‘development promotes nature recovery’ by gutting Biodiversity Net Gain, the scheme which requires homes for wildlife to be delivered alongside homes for people.  

Furthermore, additional anti-nature policies are looming. They include the weakening of the Habitats Regulations which protect the wildlife sites of greatest significance and international importance for nature. 

This threat has arisen thanks to the Prime Minister’s recent enthusiastic response to the Nuclear Taskforce’s recommendation to bypass existing regulations. Elsewhere, remarks from the Farming Minister indicate that the nature-friendly farming elements of Environmental Land Management schemes could be scrapped. 

As fears mount over these risks, nearly 40 MPs have stepped forward to sign an Early Day Motion warning that proposals from the Nuclear Regulatory Review would weaken the Habitat Regulations. 

Labour's broken promises on nature

Planning

The promise

“We will implement solutions to unlock the building of homes affected by nutrient neutrality without weakening environmental protections.” Labour Party Manifesto, June 2024. 

What's happened since the promise? 

Since making this promise the Government has proposed significantly weakening Biodiversity Net Gain, the standards intended to deliver space for nature alongside new homes. Proposals were consulted on in summer 2025. An announcement of major BNG exemptions following the consultation, on such a scale as to cause the scheme to collapse is expected on 18^th December, just before Parliament rises for the Christmas recess.  

Promise-breaking quote

“So we are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into the nature restoration fund that we have created so they can focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about bats and newts.” Speech from the Chancellor, January 2025.  

Biodiversity Net Gain

The promise

[We will ensure] new towns and house building include nature at their heart, with access to parks and green spaces on people’s doorsteps and environmental standards protected.” Labour’s plan to save Britain’s beautiful countryside: Press release issued by the Labour Party, June 2024

What's happened since the promise? 

Since making this promise the Government has proposed significantly weakening Biodiversity Net Gain, the standards intended to deliver space for nature alongside new homes. Proposals were consulted on in summer 2025. An announcement of major BNG exemptions following the consultation, on such a scale as to cause the scheme to collapse is expected on 18^th December, just before Parliament rises for the Christmas recess.  

Promise-breaking quotes

“The working paper proposes a gradated approach to the planning system – removing and streamlining disproportionate requirements on small and medium sites The proposals would see minor development of up to 9 homes benefit from streamlined planning and eased Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements”. Parliamentary statement from Planning & Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP, June 2025  

“We are serious about cutting red tape to get Britain building again, backing the builders not the blocker”. Quote in Government press release from the Chancellor, October 2025  

Protected sites and landscapes 

The promise

“We will help protected areas like national parks and national landscapes to become wilder and greener, ending the destruction of nature, restoring and expanding habitats”. Labour’s plan to save Britain’s beautiful countryside: Press release issued by the Labour Party, June 2024

What's happened since the promise? 

Since making this promise the Prime Minister has pledged to implement the recommendations of the Fingleton Nuclear Regulatory Review, which includes proposals to weaken the Habitat Regulations and to remove a duty on local authorities to further National Park and National Landscape purposes (recommendations 11, 12 and 19). 

If progressed and applied across industrial sectors, as proposed by the Prime Minister on 1^st December, this will see England’s most special wild sites damaged and polluted by industrial development. 

Promise-breaking quote

“John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold-plating, unnecessary red-tape, well-intentioned, but fundamentally misguided, environmental regulations…Now I agree with him. In fact – I would go further. And therefore – in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations…I am asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy”. Speech from the Prime Minister, December 2025. 

Nature-friendly farming

The promise

“[we will] Promote regenerative farming and nature’s recovery through the Environment Land Management schemes to protect nature and secure Britain's long-term food security.” Labour’s plan to save Britain’s beautiful countryside: Press release issued by the Labour Party, June 2024

What's happened since the promise? 

Since making this promise, delays to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes have left farmers wanting to do the right thing for nature without the necessary support. The largest scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, has been paused and is being reviewed by the Government, apparently with a view to weaken its environmental elements and to prioritise food production and efficiency over support for nature friendly farming. 

Promise-breaking quote

“I will now review plans for the Sustainable Farming Incentive to ensure the available funding is distributed more efficiently and more fairly.” Parliamentary statement from Angela Eagle MP, Farming and Food Minister, October 2025. 

It is important to note that this language suggests that efficiency will be prioritised over rewarding farmers for providing public goods. If taken forward, this approach to SFI would mark a radical departure from ELMS intentions, away from the provision of support for nature friendly farming. 

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts says: 

“If the Government’s proposed changes to development rules are announced next week amid a wider blitz on nature, it would amount to the worst environmental regression seen in decades. 

“As well as damaging nature and setting back net zero efforts, the Government’s abandonment of the nature promises that it was elected on will have significant electoral consequences. The Wildlife Trusts’ polling from the 2024 General Election showed that over a third of voters cast their vote based on environmental policies offered by candidates. 

“It’s clear that many Labour MPs are already concerned about the knock-on effects that the Government’s betrayal of millions of nature-loving voters will have, because support for the Early Day Motion expressing concern against the Nuclear Regulatory Review is growing. This will have a serious impact on the party in local elections next year and beyond.” 

The increasing risks to nature protections and mechanisms for nature recovery have emerged at a time when new evidence shows nature continues to decline adding to decades of loss. 

Earlier this December Defra found “we are yet to reverse the negative trend in many aspects of biodiversity” and this autumn Defra analysis found that farmland birds are in severe decline as well as a sharp drop in seabird numbers.

In November, the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland published a new GB Red List revealing that 26% of wild plants are now ‘threatened’ and a further 140 species found to be ‘near threatened’. These latest figures add to the ever-expanding list of wildlife declines documented by successive State of Nature reports, each underlining the UK’s shameful status as one of the most nature depleted country in the world.