Councillors in County Durham will be asked to declare an ecological emergency in order to do more to stop the decline of wildlife and natural habitats.
In March 2019, Durham County Council declared a climate emergency and prepared an emergency response plan to focus on its carbon commitment targets. The authority is now exploring whether to take a similar approach to biodiversity.
At a meeting of the council's Cabinet in October last year, it was decided that its overview and scrutiny committee would examine evidence relating to the decline of natural habitats and species.
