Nature and Us involved the people of Wales in a national conversation about the natural environment. The aim was to develop a shared vision for the year 2050 and consider the changes we need to make leading up to 2030 and 2050, as individuals and as a country.
We asked people in Wales “what future do you want for the natural environment?” This is what they said:
In 2050, when society and nature thrive together,
People and Government have a shared commitment to protecting the natural environment.
Clear leadership from the Welsh Government helps the public to be more involved in decisions about nature.
Sharing knowledge helps people understand how nature impacts their lives, and the actions they can take to help protect and restore the natural environment.
Widespread access to nature helps people across Wales live happy and healthy lives.
Greener transport and energy options enable more people to make environmentally friendly choices in their day to day lives
Sustainable land management helps communities buy local food and feel connected to the Welsh land.
For full reports see links at the bottom of this page.
People said that tackling the climate and nature emergency was so important that we need a shared commitment across political parties and all parts of society.
This commitment should include ways to improve the environment with a focus on integrating nature into our everyday lives.
“…government needs to communicate its plan to protect and restore the natural environment. This will explain how we all can help protect endangered animals and plants and restore where they live”.
People expressed the desire to be involved in big decisions about nature. Strong leadership from all parts of Government was identified as a way of achieving this.
“…all levels of government need to involve people and make decisions based on clear information and evidence rather than party political and other vested interests. This will give the public more power and make sure government takes the best approach to nature”
People felt that not enough was known about how our everyday lives and nature were interconnected. They said that in the future, knowledge on which actions to take that were good for and not damaging to nature would be shared openly between communities and across all age groups.
“…clear and accessible information will highlight the different ways citizens can act. This will help citizens know what steps they can take to help nature and society thrive.”
For many people, their connection with nature was related to positive experiences of being in the outdoors, and the benefits it brings, whether thinking about mental health, accessing green spaces, or breathing the clean air. But it was recognised that not everyone has the same opportunities to experience nature.
“Welsh society needs more equal access to nature and to make its environment less polluted so that everyone is able to benefit from nature. This will improve the mental and physical health of people in Wales”.
People recognised some key systems in Wales that play important roles in supporting choices that help nature to thrive, in particular transport, energy, food and waste. However, it is not always possible for people to make decisions where there is no choice, or where the choices are limited, unaffordable or unattractive.
“We need to invest in public transport, renewable energy technologies and waste management, as well as reducing the impact of inequalities between people and their communities. This will give more equal access to greener lifestyle choices to people across Wales.”
Addressing the challenge of how we grow and where we source our food was recognised as being something that could really support a future Wales where nature and society thrive together. People saw this as an opportunity to develop a better connection between the people and the land in Wales.
“…all levels of government need to help make farming more sustainable and local food affordable. This will help people to buy more local, sustainable food and to restore nature.”
A report summarising how these conclusions were drawn together is available below:
