Nature envoy must work with farmers to restore countryside

Any nature envoy appointed by the government must work closely with people who live and work in rural areas to improve the environment, the Countryside Alliance has said.

Foreign secretary David Lammy is planning to create the new role in a bid to put the UK at the centre of global efforts to tackle the world’s ecological problems, according to a report in the Guardian.

The report also suggests Labour will appoint a new climate envoy.

Countryside Alliance’s director of external affairs, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, said: “We sincerely hope that a key consideration for any potential envoy will be their ability and willingness to work with those who live and work in the countryside, and that they understand the noble aim of nature recovery cannot be achieved by a top-down approach but by working with those on the ground – our farmers and gamekeepers to name but a few.

“As with any decision taken by government, it is essential that policy and appointments are done for the benefit of doing things for the countryside, rather than simply to the countryside”.

The Guardian suggests several figures have been under consideration for the nature role, including chairman of Natural England, Tony Juniper; chief executive of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Tanya Steele; and Edward Davey, a former aide to King Charles during his time as Prince of Wales.