On Thursday the Prime Minister will make the environmental case for Britain’s place in Europe. He is right to bring this important issue to the top of his agenda.

How nature is managed and protected affects us all, and the outcome of the EU referendum will have profound implications for the future of our countryside, wildlife, rivers and seas.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) will not be telling people how to vote, and we recognise that voters will be weighing up a range of issues when casting their votes on June 23.

But our supporters, staff and volunteers all share a concern for nature – David Cameron’s intervention should encourage everyone to put environmental considerations at the heart of the referendum debate.

The evidence shows that the EU, and the UK’s membership of it, has on balance had a positive impact on the environment in the UK, across Europe and indeed globally – from protecting forests and wildlife and preserving rare species to improving air and water quality, and cutting global emissions.

EU standards have safeguarded streams and rivers that are home to much-loved British wildlife such as water voles, kingfishers, brown trout, otters and the bittern. They have helped protect and restore precious heaths and woodlands that are essential for butterflies and bees. Read More

Read the entire article at The Telegraph.

This was originally published on The Telegraph written by David Nussbaum.