With 2024 likely to see a General Election take place in the United Kingdom, Buglife have today published their Manifesto for Bugs, setting out what our smallest and most numerous creatures need from any future Government.
Invertebrates are the foundations of a healthy environment, helping to pollinate crops, recycle and break down nutrients, improving our soils, and cleaning our waterways, helping to control pests, and providing food for other species. They are essential to ecosystem function and without healthy populations, it is impossible to halt nature’s decline.
The next Government must:
- Recognise the rapid decline in insect abundance, demonstrated by the Bugs Matter monitoring scheme revealing a 78% reduction in UK flying insect numbers in just 19 years.
- Pledge to restore sustainable populations of all invertebrates.
Fully resourced delivery plans must be set out to meet binding targets to rapidly address climate change, end sewage pollution and protect 30% of the UK for nature. Political parties must also fulfil their promises to end peat use, increase access to nature, and restore the health of rivers.
As well as achieving existing targets and pledges, halting nature loss, and reversing invertebrate declines will require the actions and commitments listed below.
- Reconnect our landscape by filling B-Lines with wildflower-rich stepping-stones.
- Set light pollution reduction targets.
- Strengthen bee-friendly pesticide regulation
- Dedicate new resources to save our most threatened species.
- Improve planning for invertebrates.
- Lead global action on nature-positive trade.
- Stop the sale of banned toxins for domestic use.
Download the full Manifesto for Bugs to read in detail the commitments the next UK Government must make to restore and ensure sustainable invertebrate populations.
*figures used in original publication taken from Bugs Matter 2022 report; updated in May 2024 following the release of the Bugs Matter 2023 report.
