Butterfly Conservation is the UK charity dedicated to saving butterflies, moths and our natural environment. We are not a political campaigning organisation, but we are an environmental NGO, and on Tuesday 5th October, that badge has been used in disparaging terms.

In her speech to the Conservative Party Conference the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, accused environmentalists of being part of the “anti-growth coalition”. But what is growth and how does a policy of “growth, growth, growth” contribute to a sustainable future for all?

To achieve their vision of growth, the Government has announced that they will be deregulating the economy, removing the “red tape” of environmental legislation that is apparently holding back growth. We’ve been here before. Back in 2012 we had the Red Tape Challenge that looked at legislation across biodiversity and wildlife protection. The consensus from the consultation was that there was a need to maintain our natural environment and wildlife protections, but to simplify the rules so businesses and other users could better understand them.

At the other end of the scale, our measure of growth is simplistic. Gross Domestic Product, GDP, only looks at economic outputs and ignores the impacts on people or the environment. So you can have a high growth economy but also increasing environmental and social declines. A better measure might be to look for sustainable prosperity, where issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change and social inequality can be factored into the measurements.

Taking this approach can change the conversation about different economic models. A farm might be highly productive but only marginally profitable because of the high cost of inputs such as fertiliser or feed. However, switching to a lower productivity system, such as regenerative agriculture, can produce a better profit margin. The highly productive farm may also have high social and environmental costs which are not being accounted. It is these externalised costs, such as species loss or reduced water quality, that wider society has to pay for. Alternative farming models can include both social and environmental gains including restoration of natural processes and making space for wildlife.

The environment is not a barrier to growth. But if we make it a prerequisite of the type of growth we want, it will provide a sustainable future for generations to come. To do that we need to measure what matters and to shift towards an economy that delivers well-being for all. This includes the well-being of moths and butterflies and the habitats that support them. The data that our volunteers provide, and our scientists analyse will continue to be a vital part of that shift.

Butterfly Conservation is not a political organisation but an evidence-based organisation. While not perfect, much of our environmental legislation has at least slowed the tide of biodiversity loss. We will be working with other environmental NGOs to ensure that the future of our wildlife is not sacrificed by solely focussing on growth and that the Government delivers the ambition in the Environment Act.

Julie Williams

CEO, Butterfly Conservation