Nature’s Rights Bill [HL]

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes Excerpts

Friday 3rd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, for bringing forward this Bill and for her long-standing commitment to environmental protection and climate justice.

I draw the House’s attention to an Early Day Motion tabled in the other place this May, entitled “National Emergency”, sponsored by Members from the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and my own party, Plaid Cymru. It highlighted the escalating risks posed by climate change and nature loss. It noted that one in four properties could be at risk of flooding by 2050, that heatwaves and wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, and that

“the UK ranks among the lowest globally for biodiversity”.

It further recognised that

“food security, public health, and national security are increasingly threatened by climate-related impacts”.

The Motion called for “emergency legislation” to address the scale and urgency of these challenges. That is why I believe this Bill comes before us at a particularly important time and we must consider it seriously

We often speak of a climate emergency and a nature emergency, yet emergencies require more than declaration. They demand that we seriously consider new approaches and, where necessary, new legal frameworks. Time is not on our side. The systems upon which our society depends are under growing pressure and the consequences of inaction are becoming increasingly clear.

The central principle of this Bill is both simple and profound. Should nature itself be recognised in law as a subject possessing rights, rather than be regarded as property or a resource to be managed? In considering that question, we must be honest about the scale of the crisis that the Bill seeks to address and ask ourselves whether the status quo is delivering the protection that nature, and indeed future generations, require.

The noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, has already referred to examples internationally, including in Ecuador, where recognition of the rights of nature has provided a new legal mechanism for environmental protection, including the successful defence of the Los Cedros forest against mining activity. Whether or not we conclude that that model is directly transferable to these islands, it demonstrates that alternative approaches are possible and worthy of serious consideration. I believe our legal frameworks must continue to evolve if they are to respond effectively to ecological decline. As legislators, we have a responsibility to engage constructively with ideas that seek to protect the natural world, which we all depend on, and which future generations have every right to inherit in a healthy condition.

For me, the Bill poses a fundamental question: if the well-being of future generations depends on clean water, healthy soils, thriving biodiversity, resilient ecosystems, pollinators and a stable climate, should the law continue to treat nature principally as a possession and a resource? Or should it begin to recognise nature as the living foundation upon which long-term societal resilience ultimately rests?

From a Welsh perspective, this question is particularly relevant. Wales has already sought to place future generations at the heart of public policy through the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. That legislation was pioneering in requiring public bodies to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions and the world they leave behind for those who will come after us. It reflects a growing recognition that prosperity, well-being and environmental stewardship cannot be separated from one another.

In many respects, the Bill can be seen as part of that broader evolution in governance. The future generations Act asks us to think about the well-being of future generations; this Bill invites us to consider more explicitly the ecological foundations on which that well-being depends. As this legislation progresses, there will undoubtedly be important questions about how such an approach would interact with existing Welsh legislation and devolved responsibilities. But I do not think that that should be consider a blocker. Those are precisely the kinds of issues that can and should be explored in Committee.

Ultimately, the key question at Second Reading is not whether every clause is perfect, but rather, whether the principle underpinning the Bill is worthy of further examination. In my view, the rights of nature are not in competition with human rights or economic prosperity. Rather, nature is the foundation on which they depend. A degraded natural world cannot support flourishing communities or resilient economies.

There is work still to do, and legitimate questions remain. Those questions should not prevent us examining the Bill further; they should encourage us to do so. Supporting its passage today would be a sign of the recognition that the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss require us to examine new ideas with an open mind and, where necessary, improve them through scrutiny in Committee. This is what the public, and many young people, are asking for. For that reason, the Bill merits further consideration by this House, and I am pleased to support its progression today.

UK-EU Relations

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord referenced the commissioning of my noble friend Lord Murphy of Torfaen to conduct an independent review of the Windsor Framework. This will report within six months. Looking ahead, we are committed to continuing to seek joint solutions with the EU to challenges that might arise in the future around the Windsor Framework. We are taking forward our commitments, as set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, including the implementation of the UK internal market system. For example, the Government announced the membership of the independent monitoring panel, and the chair of InterTrade UK.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, of the 70 direct engagements that UK Ministers have had with EU counterparts, which have included discussing or progressing a youth mobility scheme? The Minister touched on this earlier, but why will His Majesty’s Government not consider proactively proposing a new youth mobility scheme? As the Minister highlighted, there are many benefits to having such a scheme.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

In response to the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord True, on this, the Government recognise the value of schemes that give young people the opportunity to experience different cultures and work or study elsewhere. We have the Turing scheme and, separate to that, the UK operates a number of bilateral youth mobility schemes with European countries such as Iceland and Andorra and with a number of our global partners. We do not have a proposal or plan for a youth mobility scheme, but we will look at any EU proposals on a range of issues. But, as I outlined in the debate we had on youth mobility in your Lordships’ House a couple of weeks ago, the EU has not yet come forward with definite proposals on this point.

Europe: Youth Mobility

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Balfe, and the pro-European words he has just shared with us. I thank the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans for bringing this important debate to this House and congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Moraes, on his maiden speech. He introduced today’s debate with such passion, and it was important to hear his own experiences of how mobility schemes have reached out to those from underprivileged backgrounds. That was an important note. I look forward to hearing more of his contributions and say croeso, welcome, to the noble Lord.

As the youngest Member of this House, I take a special interest in proposals that will offer young people more opportunities. Under-30s, who such schemes are aimed at, are a generation which has been most affected by the loss of work opportunities post-Brexit. This has been coupled with the isolating experiences that the Covid pandemic had on youth. Along with being locked out of the housing market with low wages, hopes are dashed for many in my generation. His Majesty’s Government have an opportunity to change this with an act of good will towards young people, establishing a new youth mobility scheme with the EU. This is not just about young people but about the other benefits to the economy and society, as has been shared by many noble Lords today.

We are not alone in this view. A poll conducted by YouGov for the European Council on Foreign Relations found that almost seven in 10 Britons, including a 55% majority of former pro-Brexit voters, would support a scheme that would allow 200,000 18 to 40 year-olds from the UK and the EU to travel, study and work freely in each other’s countries for up to four years.

I would like to talk about the broader context that this debate offers. Yesterday, Wales’s biggest university, Cardiff University, announced plans to cut 400 jobs. The proposals include completely axing courses such as nursing, music, ancient history and modern languages. Other schools will be merged to save money. I fear that Cardiff University will not be the last to make such an announcement.

After Brexit, the UK’s withdrawal from Erasmus and continuous cuts to fields such as culture and the arts mean that current modern languages students in particular undoubtedly get a markedly different experience from other alumni. However, language learning is no less important today than at any point in the past. It could be argued that mutual understanding is more crucial in today’s world than ever before.

The vice-chancellor has blamed these difficult decisions on the precarious financial position of many universities, particularly in the context of declining international student applications and increasing cost pressures—these issues are tied closely together. Cardiff University is not alone in this struggle; many universities across the UK have been warning of a crisis looming. In the case of universities in Wales, the Welsh Government and His Majesty’s Government have a lot to answer for. The recent decision on national insurance has made the situation worse.

Before I conclude, I will rebut claims that this would be a return to free movement. This is not the case for the youth mobility scheme already established with 12 non-EU countries, because it would be time limited and require people to meet certain conditions before and during their stay. His Majesty’s Government could set the quota and the length of stay. When the UK was a member state, UK nationals had the right to move and reside freely within the EU; that is not the case for this scheme.

Although it has been reported that the EU has been forthcoming with proposals for a mobility scheme with the UK, I strongly urge His Majesty’s Government to show leadership and proactively suggest their own proposal. As part of designing a proposal—today we have had several suggestions for what that could include—I would also make the case for expanding the age limit. Many people in their 30s and in their early careers would enjoy and benefit from an opportunity to work, study and live abroad. As the Prime Minister is set to meet EU leaders in Brussels on Monday, I hope that a youth mobility scheme is on the table and is progressed. I also hope that the future of our higher education institutions is considered as part of His Majesty’s Government’s reset with the EU.

I will close with a couple of questions for the Minister directly. Can she confirm whether a youth mobility scheme will be discussed with EU leaders next week? Furthermore, can she share with us what consultation His Majesty’s Government are undertaking or plan to undertake with young people regarding the UK’s reset with the EU?