A North East man who helped create the UK’s first-ever ‘People’s Plan For Nature’ – a statement of how the public wants to see nature cared for in this country – says the experience has made him more optimistic about humanity’s chances of fixing the climate crisis.

Peter Dunbar, 42, from Wallsend, was one of 103 people chosen at random to form a citizens’ assembly and asked to produce the landmark plan after discussing evidence and testimony from experts and 30,000 other people.

If backed by politicians and enshrined in law, the PPFN would revolutionise the way the UK is run, by making the protection of the natural environment as important a national priority as healthcare, education or defence.

Politicians wouldn’t be able to take decisions without first ensuring they weren’t going to harm nature, and businesses and industrial sectors such as farming would be forced to act in the interests of the environment.

“I honestly think we have a chance of making a difference with the Plan”

– Peter Dunbar, member of the People’s Plan For Nature Assembly

Peter told Climate Post: “Taking part in the assembly was an incredible experience and something I’ll never forget.

“I was very surprised to be selected, but it ended up being something I’m really proud to be a part of. The whole experience was on a much bigger scale than I was expecting and covered so many topics, but it was really well organised and taught me so many things I had no idea about when it comes to nature and our impact on it.”

He added that he found the process – “allowing everyone to share their opinions and discuss topics in detail to make sure our voices were truly heard” – to be “incredibly effective and productive”.

“It was a very democratic process the whole way through,” he said.

“I was shocked by a lot of the information and statistics we were given. I had no idea the state of the nature in the UK was as bad as it is and how urgent it is to take action, but I honestly think we have a chance of making a difference with the Plan.

“This process made me realise how much power the general public has if we come together in an effective way like this.  I think it’s a great way to make a change in things that affect the country as a whole.”

He added: “Taking part in the assembly has definitely made me more optimistic for the future.

“Seeing the effectiveness of this format and what an impact it has had already gives me hope and I urge more people to take part or form assemblies like ours to make a difference in areas they are interested in.”

A spokesperson for the PPFN project told us: “There is no guarantee that institutions will act on the recommendations. However, the People’s Plan for Nature aims to create a strong public mandate for action, with a single set of demands from the UK public, which no one can ignore.

“To help this happen, the Plan is being shared with a wide range of media, public figures, businesses, institutions and more over the coming months.

“From sharing it with politicians to activists, business leaders to community groups, unions to schools, we will help the Assembly share its recommendations with as many people as possible and ask them to support it and act.”

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So, what is the People’s Plan For Nature?

Supported by the Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the National Trust, the assembly met for four conferences between last November and this February and:

• heard from top experts on our natural environment, its management and the impact on it of human activity;
• discussed the expert evidence, and their own opinions and experiences;
• considered the views and comments submitted by 30,000 members of the public, as part of a ‘national conversation’ on nature, its future, and ‘exciting’ conservation projects.

The result was a detailed ‘manifesto‘ calling for the protection and nurturing of the natural environment – both land and marine – to be prioritised and embedded in every aspect of running the nation, by:

• making it an official national priority in decision-making by government and business;
  
• creating and enforcing more powerful environmental protection laws and regulations, to stop harmful activities such as sewage dumping;
  
• creating a national organisation with executive powers to enforce the ‘nature agenda’ across various sectors;
  
• creating a cross-party commitment to developing nature-friendly farming – and stopping environmentally-harmful methods;
  
• requiring transparency across big businesses like supermarkets – and promoting a national discussion on healthier consumer habits.

You can find the full People’s Plan For Nature here.

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The People’s Plan For Nature by numbers

30,000

The number of responses from people between 30 September and 30 October 2022, across the four nations of the UK, in an open call via social media and a website.

74

The number of interactive installations at locations across the four nations, where people were invited to comment.

103

The number of people who took part in the Citizens’ Assembly (weighted representation from all age groups above 16, different education levels, people living in different geographies across the UK, people from different ethnic backgrounds and people with differing levels of engagement with nature).

36

The number of hours of deliberation, across four weekends, by Assembly members.

40

The number of pieces of evidence and testimony given to the Assembly, including academic leads, expert witnesses, case studies and testimonials, Q&A sessions, group interactions and other resources.

45

The number of commentaries and illustrations: capturing the thoughts and visions of those who participated in the national conversation open call.

18

The number of members on an independent Advisory Group: to ensure the independence, freedom from bias and accessibility of the assembly design. (The advisory group were selected for their knowledge and experience on a range of relevant topics, including the food industry; farming; nature conservation; health; participation; diversity, equity and inclusion; community engagement and national governments across the four nations of the UK.)