{"id":435,"date":"2025-07-16T09:16:44","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T09:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/?p=435"},"modified":"2025-07-23T14:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:09:25","slug":"the-public-backs-nature-the-problem-is-access-not-apathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/the-public-backs-nature-the-problem-is-access-not-apathy\/","title":{"rendered":"The public backs nature \u2013 the problem is access, not apathy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

\"nature\"<\/h4>\n

Dr. Michael Burgass is Co-founder of Biodiversify says he’s<\/span>\u00a0seen first-hand how momentum for nature is often undermined by practical barriers \u2014 from funding constraints to lack of clarity about what \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d looks like.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The latest UK government survey<\/span>[1]<\/span> on public attitudes to the environment reveals a telling shift in Britons\u2019 green priorities during the cost-of-living crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The figures show a steady decline in public appetite for climate action. The percentage of people willing to make significant lifestyle changes to tackle environmental problems has fallen since 2021, with similar downward trends visible across willingness to cut waste, purchase eco-friendly products, and address air pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet while headline environmental enthusiasm appears to be cooling, a closer examination shows something more complex \u2013 practical resilience amid competing financial pressures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyday green habits remain remarkably sticky. A striking 87% of Britons continue to bring their own shopping bags, 71% use refillable bottles, and most take steps to conserve water. These established behaviours have become normalised \u2013 integrated into daily routines to the point where they’re no longer conscious “green choices” but simply routine practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data also shows that while more people are stopping buying environmentally friendly products due to the cost, fewer now believe that greener products are less effective. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, there’s a significant rise in public uncertainty about which products are genuinely environmentally friendly \u2014 reflecting growing concern about greenwashing and a more nuanced understanding of sustainability trade-offs. For example, while plastic relies on fossil fuels, alternatives like paper and cardboard involve cutting down trees, which can require land, pesticides, and risk contributing to deforestation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

People want to do more, and they often know what would work locally \u2014 whether that\u2019s wildlife planting, wetland restoration or sustainable land use. But access to funding, advice and planning flexibility remains patchy. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Most encouragingly, connection to nature remains robust. One in three people created wildlife-friendly habitats in their gardens last year \u2013 a figure that’s actually increasing. More than half of Britons are likely to purchase UK-grown plants to support plant and tree health, and over 80% recognise that spending time in natural spaces supports their wellbeing.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are not just abstract intentions. They are hands-in-the-soil, boots-on-the-ground actions \u2014 carried out in gardens, balconies and community spaces across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And yet, not everyone has access to nature. According to Natural England\u2019s <\/span>Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment<\/span><\/i> (MENE) survey, one in three people in England do not live within a 15-minute walk of a publicly accessible natural space.<\/span>[2]<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This matters not just for individual health, but for environmental participation: it is difficult to value or protect nature when it feels distant, inaccessible or irrelevant to daily life. The story behind the statistics is that the public hasn’t switched off from environmental concerns but expresses them differently as budgets tighten.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A pattern of environmental pragmatism is emerging. When green behaviours become easy, affordable, and normal, they stick. When they require constant conscious effort or financial sacrifice during challenging economic times, they falter.<\/span><\/p>\n

For that reason, inequality in who can access and engage with environmental activities raises serious concerns. The survey shows those most likely to make greener choices are women, higher earners, and university graduates. Those in lower-income or more deprived areas engage less \u2013 not from apathy, but because structural barriers make participation harder.<\/span><\/p>\n

This exposes a fundamental truth: environmental action cannot be solely a matter of individual choice. Framing it this way creates a two-tier system where participation becomes a privilege rather than a right. Environmental justice and economic justice are inseparable.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data suggests policy approaches focused primarily on urging individual behaviour change may have reached their limits. The most impactful environmental measures will make green choices the default for everyone \u2013 removing financial, practical, and social barriers.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my work at Biodiversify, I\u2019ve seen first-hand how momentum for nature is often undermined by practical barriers \u2014 from funding constraints to lack of clarity about what \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d looks like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People want to do more, and they often know what would work locally \u2014 whether that\u2019s wildlife planting, wetland restoration or sustainable land use. But access to funding, advice and planning flexibility remains patchy. National frameworks are needed to unlock local energy and give communities the tools to lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

We know nature is foundational to economic resilience, public health and climate security. But if acting feels like an individual burden, we will not bring the scale of change required. The goal now is not to ask more of people \u2014 it\u2019s to remove the obstacles in their way.<\/span><\/p>\n

[1] Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2024). <\/span>Public Attitudes Tracker: Wave 25 (March 2024)<\/span>. <\/span>https:\/\/sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk\/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=20907<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

[2]<\/span> Natural England (2020). <\/span>The People and Nature Survey for England: Key findings (June to August 2020)<\/span>. https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/the-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-monthly-interim-indicators-for-august-2020<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The post The public backs nature \u2013 the problem is access, not apathy<\/a> appeared first on Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Dr. Michael Burgass is Co-founder of Biodiversify says he’s\u00a0seen first-hand how momentum for nature is often undermined by practical barriers \u2014 from funding constraints to lack of clarity about what \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d looks like.\u00a0 The latest UK government survey[1] on public attitudes to the environment reveals a telling shift in Britons\u2019 green […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blockchain-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=435"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":438,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435\/revisions\/438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mestilornava.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}