On Wednesday (31st Jan, 2024), Cllr Kirsten Robb, will present a motion to the full council calling for South Lanarkshire to declare a Nature Emergency. If it passes, South Lanarkshire Council will declare a Nature Emergency recognising the current state of nature, its value to society and the crucial role its recovery and restoration will play in ameliorating climate breakdown. You can read the full text of the motion here.

The motion acknowledges the progress so far, particularly the £2 million worth of environmental volunteering, contributing to nature restoration across South Lanarkshire and the public desire to see more areas for pollinators. Finally, the motion requests that council ensures all of its work is aligned with the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and highlights areas for further action, training and communication.

As well as nature being valuable in its own right, the diagram shows the important services nature provides to us. The photo shows a resident questioning the cutting of meadow whilst still in flower. To protect nature we need an integrated approach to the nature emergency across the whole Council and beyond. Many residents see the benefits of a nature rich environment, volunteer their time to improve their area and are asking for more space for nature. This motion will ensure more people understand the value of nature and more action is taken to protect and enhance our greenspaces.

Taking action now means we can take better care of our planet and make sure it’s a healthy place for us and future generations. But to make a change, we need to protect habitats, reduce pollution, stop climate change and use our resources wisely. We need to look after our ecosystems – communities of plants, animals, organisms and nature living and interacting with each other. Animals and plants do not have a voice and it is human activities that are driving their destruction – they need humans to stand up for them and for our own survival – we cannot survive without nature.