This Plan was created by the People’s Assembly for Nature, a demographically representative sample of 103 UK citizens, and consists of 26 Calls to Action for governments, businesses, NGOs and communities to take to address the crisis in nature.

The South Antrim MLA has said: “The People’s Plan for Nature demonstrates that the public will no longer accept lacklustre approaches to the crisis unfolding in our natural environment. The demand for rigorous and urgent action, delivered collectively, is evident.

“The calls for action within the Plan are far-reaching and challenging, but they are necessary to prevent worsening threats to our natural environment, and I’d like to thank the People’s Assembly for Nature for their level of engagement and enthusiasm on this. Alliance have accepted the challenge and have outlined the ways in which we will contribute to the proposed actions, as well as highlighting our ongoing efforts to deliver better for nature.

“For example, it’s imperative we keep the ecological crisis at Lough Neagh at the top of the agenda. Alliance’s ‘Five-Point Plan for Lough Neagh’ clearly aligns with many of the calls for action detailed within the Plan, such as increasing fines and penalties for polluters and investing in wastewater infrastructure. We are also proud to say that many other elements within the Plan already feature within the Alliance Green New Deal, such as implementing more nature-friendly farming practices.

“However, it is clear that the lack of a functioning Executive and appointed ministers to drive the environmental agenda, as well as sitting committees to scrutinise and monitor progress, are blatant obstacles to achieving adequate progress.

“As we await the return of devolved government here, Alliance remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding our precious natural environment. We simply cannot shy away from our responsibility to preserve it for future generations. The decline of our natural environment does not halt when our political institutions do, and so neither should our response to it.”