People's Assembly for Nature - First weekend
What is Nature and Why Protect it?
11 - 13 November 2022, Birmingham
During this first weekend, participants were introduced to the concept of a Citizen’s Assembly - how it works, what to expect from the four weekends and what will happen to the People’s Plan for Nature as a result of their time and commitment to the project.
On Saturday, assembly participants heard an overview of nature - what it is and why it matters. They discovered the drivers behind biodiversity loss and how these have impacted nature in the UK. They were also introduced to the main ‘actors’ (e.g. Government, industry, NGOs) that the People’s Plan will create recommendations for, to understand who is responsible for addressing nature loss.
On Sunday, assembly participants heard about long-term thinking to help introduce the concept of environmental stewardship for generations to come and they listened to an overview of the solutions we have to the nature crisis. Finally, fairness, equity and a just transition were discussed to ensure that assembly members consider the impacts and consequences of their choices on people and livelihoods in the coming weeks.
Who spoke at the assembly?
Learn about who spoke at the first assembly weekend (11 - 13 November)
What happened during the assembly?
Learn more about the presentations and discussion topics of the first assembly weekend (11-13 November)
Presentations and talks
What is nature and why should we protect it?
Professor Nathalie Seddon- University of Oxford
What has nature ever done for us?
Tony Juniper- Natural England
The intangible value of nature- spiritual, religious and cultural significance
Dr Radhika Borde- University of Leeds (Presentation 1)
Fairness, equity and a just transition
Dr Radhika Borde- University of Leeds (Presentation 2)
The current state of nature and how we have ended up here?
Sir John Lawton- President of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB Vice President
Who's responsible for addressing these challenges?
Ruchir Shah- Scottish Wildlife Trust
Long-time thinking and being a good ancestor
Ella Saltmarshe- The Longtime Project
The nature crisis is a solvable one, but we must use evidence
Professor Bill Sutherland- University of Cambridge
