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---
layout: default
permalink: /about/
title: About the data
---
<div class="container my-4 my-sm-5 my-lg-6">
<h1 class="mb-4">Methodology</h1>
<div class="row">
<div class="d-none d-lg-block col-lg-3 offset-lg-1 order-lg-1">
<div class="toc mb-4 position-lg-sticky">
<h2 class="h6">On this page</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="#timeline">Timeline</a></li>
<li>
<a href="#language">Language of the motion</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#did-count">What did we count?</a></li>
<li><a href="#didnt-count">What didn’t we count?</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#joint-declarations">Joint declarations and extension of the climate emergency</a></li>
<li><a href="#joint-pacts">Joint pacts</a></li>
<li><a href="#committee-recommendations">Committee recommendations</a></li>
<li><a href="#nature-recovery-motions">Nature recovery motions</a></li>
<li>
<a href="#priority-actions">Priority actions</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#priority-1">1. Develop an evidence-based action plan for pushing nature into recovery</a></li>
<li><a href="#priority-2">2. Embed nature’s recovery into all strategic plans and policy areas</a></li>
<li><a href="#priority-3">3. Protect and manage 30% of council landholdings for nature recovery by 2030</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-lg-8 readable">
<p>A nature emergency declaration forms the same function as a climate emergency declaration. It is a signal of intent that a council recognises the threat of the nature emergency and will act to stop the loss of nature. This declaration is usually in the form of passing a motion at full council.</p>
<p>To assess whether a council has declared a nature emergency, we created a methodology in consultation with the nature sector, including <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/">The Wildlife Trusts</a> and <a href="https://www.wcl.org.uk/">Wildlife and Countryside Link</a>, with advice from <a href="https://climateemergency.uk/">Climate Emergency UK</a>.</p>
<h2 id="timeline">Timeline</h2>
<p>This data was collected by <a href="https://climateemergency.uk/">Climate Emergency UK</a> on behalf of <a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/">the Woodland Trust</a> from March-May 2024. No timeframe was applied to the data collection, so any motions that met the methodology were counted regardless of when they happened.</p>
<h2 id="language">Language of the motion</h2>
<h3 id="did-count">What did we count?</h3>
<p>In declaring a nature emergency, we recognised any of the following as carrying the same intent:</p>
<ul>
<li>nature emergency or crisis</li>
<li>ecological emergency or crisis</li>
<li>biodiversity emergency or crisis</li>
</ul>
<p>We also accepted nature recovery declarations. While these motions didn’t necessarily declare a ‘nature emergency’, they often recognised the nature crisis, and the intent behind the motion was to propose action to secure nature’s recovery due to the decline in biodiversity.</p>
<p>If the council had ‘recognised’, ‘declared its recognition of’ or ‘acknowledged’ the nature emergency or crisis, we deemed this valid.</p>
<h3 id="didnt-count">What didn’t we count?</h3>
<p>We did not count any motion that had declared or recognised an ‘environment [or environmental] emergency’. This was deemed too vague as the environment often includes air quality, waste management, fly tipping or other aspects.</p>
<p>If the council ‘notes [or noted] the nature emergency’, this was not deemed strong enough to count as a declaration of a nature emergency.</p>
<p>For ease, we only refer to ‘nature emergency’ declarations in the rest of this methodology. However, it should be read as also including any ‘ecological’, ‘biodiversity’ or ‘crisis’ motions, and whether the council ‘recognised’ or ‘acknowledged’ them.</p>
<h2 id="joint-declarations">Joint declarations and extension of the climate emergency</h2>
<p>Many councils had declared or recognised the nature emergency as part of their original climate emergency declarations. We counted this.</p>
<p>Some councils extended their original climate emergency to include the declaration of a nature emergency at a later committee or council level. We deemed this counted as declaring a nature emergency, with the resulting motion or wording assessed for the priority actions.</p>
<p>A number of councils later referred to their original climate emergency declaration as a climate and nature emergency. We only counted this if the original motion was a joint declaration of a ‘climate and nature emergency’.</p>
<h2 id="joint-pacts">Joint pacts</h2>
<p>A number of councils have signed joint pacts that recognise or call for action on the nature emergency. While signing a pact is useful to demonstrate public commitment and the council’s intent, we did not deem this the same as passing a motion to declare a nature emergency, which demonstrates greater political commitment from the council. Therefore signing the pact was not counted, unless a subsequent motion was passed by the council to declare a nature emergency.</p>
<h2 id="committee-recommendations">Committee recommendations</h2>
<p>In some instances, a committee of the council had recommended declaring a nature emergency at a future full council meeting or cabinet meeting. A number of councils referred to these recommendations as declaring a nature emergency.</p>
<p>We checked the relevant follow-up meetings to see if the recommendation was actioned. If a nature emergency was declared as recommended, this was accepted. If we could not find evidence of a motion being passed at cabinet or full council, this did not meet the criteria, even if the council referred to passing a nature emergency motion later.</p>
<h2 id="nature-recovery-motions">Nature recovery motions</h2>
<p>A few councils have passed ‘nature recovery’ motions. If the nature recovery motion also acknowledges, recognises or declares a ‘nature emergency’ in any part of the motion, this was deemed strong enough to count.</p>
<h2 id="priority-actions">Priority actions</h2>
<h3 id="priority-1">1. Develop an evidence-based action plan for pushing nature into recovery</h3>
<p>This was accepted if the nature emergency motion committed to creating a plan for nature recovery. However, if a motion that was a joint climate and nature declaration only made reference to a plan or strategy to reduce emissions or tackle climate change, this was not accepted. If the declaration was made at the time of adopting a Biodiversity Action Plan, this was accepted.</p>
<h3 id="priority-2">2. Embed nature’s recovery into all strategic plans and policy areas</h3>
<p>A number of councils did commit to embedding nature recovery or the nature emergency into all strategic plans, policy areas and decision making. If the declaration was made at the time of adopting a Biodiversity Action Plan and that plan stated the nature emergency would be embedded into every area, this was accepted.</p>
<p>For this action we needed to see nature embedded into decision making and strategic plans, so while it was heartening to see councils state that nature should be considered in all decision making, this alone was not accepted. If the motion listed specific areas in which to embed nature but failed to commit to embedding it across all strategic plans and policy areas, this was also not accepted.</p>
<h3 id="priority-3">3. Protect and manage 30% of council landholdings for nature recovery by 2030</h3>
<p>We accepted if the motion committed to protect and manage 30% of council landholdings or 30% of the whole council district for nature. Any broader mention of managing council landholdings for nature that did not specifically include 30% was not accepted.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>