WWF launches petition urging Wales to act on nature crisis

A major wildlife charity is urging people in Wales to “shout loud” as the country’s nature continues to decline at an alarming rate.

WWF have launched a petition ‘to bring Wales back to life’ which they intend to hand to politicians in the Senedd in support of their 2026 manifesto.

The charity, founded in 1961, undertakes a range of conservation work across the UK, protecting native species and habitats.

The WWF Cymru 2026 Senedd Manifesto claims that “one government after the other have missed vital opportunities to make progress” where protecting and restoring Welsh nature is concerned.

In particular, the charity has previously criticised the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 as “a collection of fuzzy ambitions and reporting structures that haven’t really delivered much change”.

In 2021, the Senedd declared a ‘nature emergency’ and Wales is currently ranked in the bottom 10% of the world’s countries on the Biodiversity Intactness Index.

The UK and its devolved governments then committed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes 23 recovery targets.

However, the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee concluded in April 2025 that “practical implementation and resource is lacking” and there is “more work to be done” to achieve those targets.

The WWF’s 2023 State of Nature in Wales report showed one in six species at risk of extinction, including flora such as the Fen Orchid, and fauna including the Sand Lizard and Water Vole.

The Atlantic Salmon and Curlew have also seen “critical declines” as a result of pollution, climate change, over-exploitation (historic fisheries), invasive species and marine development, according to WWF.

However, the charity highlighted that meeting targets for nature restoration is possible, with the protection of Little Terns in Denbighshire and the peatland restoration to support Large Heath Butterflies examples of previous successful projects.

Their manifesto for the incoming Welsh Government includes:

• A shift to a greener economy, including investment in nature-based jobs and a “Nature Service Wales” to create thousands of roles in conservation and restoration
• Cleaner rivers, with tougher action on agricultural and sewage pollution, stricter monitoring, and legally binding targets to reduce harm to wildlife
• Healthier seas, including restoring marine habitats like seagrass and saltmarsh, and expanding Marine Conservation Zones
• Reform of food and farming, supporting nature-friendly agriculture, reducing reliance on imports linked to deforestation and improving food security in Wales
• Greater investment in nature recovery, with calls for increased public and private funding to meet an estimated hundreds of millions needed annually

In the accompanying petition, WWF highlight that ‘Welsh nature needs saving now, not now-in-a-minute’. It reads: “We all depend on the natural world – for food, water, air and raw materials.

“We demand that the new Welsh Government in 2026 delivers greener jobs and economy, cleaner rivers, healthier seas, better resilience to droughts and floods, a reverse in species decline and nature loss and a reliable supply of nutritious, affordable food.

“We don’t think that’s too much to ask.

“But nature’s in trouble. Successive governments have missed vital opportunities to make progress for nature and climate – breaking promises, delaying or watering down changes.

“Politicians need to know you want them to bring Wales back to life. If enough people shout loud enough, changes will happen.”

The charity encouraged signatories to leave a short message explaining why they care about the future of Welsh nature.

These messages will be handed into the Senedd along with names and postcodes.