Wildlife Trust's Comments on Rachel Reeves growth speech
Myth-busting bats, newts and the economy vs nature protections Tuesday 28 January 2025 Joe Keegan There has been widespread misinformation blaming nature as a blocker to growth in the run up to the Chancellor’s speech this week, writes Joe Keegan, public affairs officer at The Wildlife Trusts. In 2021 Rachel Reeves announced her ambition to become ‘Britain’s first green chancellor’ – however, recent announcements on planning and airport expansion put this aspiration in jeopardy. The irony of Rachel Reeves's crusade for growth is that these policies risk undermining the UK’s natural capital – an essential foundation for growth. Nature is not a blocker to growth Nature does not block growth – it is the very foundation on which growth is built. Research by PwC found that 47% of the companies on the London Stock Exchange are highly or moderately dependent on nature....