The accusations were made by the progressive charity organization, Wildlife and Countryside Link, who had detailed their "findings" to members of Parliament, claiming that the "white space" prevents ethnic groups from enjoying the outdoors.
The report argues, according to the Telegraph, that the British countryside has been influenced by "racist colonial legacies" which has created fear in ethnic groups as the area is largely "dominated by white people."
The group claims that because the British countryside is governed by "white British cultural values," minority groups are unable to enjoy the green space due to alleged "cultural barriers" that prevent these groups from accessing the countryside.
"Cultural barriers reflect that in the UK, it is White British cultural values that have been embedded into the design and management of green spaces, and into society’s expectations of how people should be engaging with them," the report states, according to the outlet.
The report adds that "racist colonial legacies continue to frame nature in the UK as a 'white space,'" and alleges that "the perception that green spaces are dominated by white people can prevent people from ethnic minority backgrounds from using green spaces."
The group suggests a "rights-based approach" and asks the British government to create a "legally binding target for access to nature," requesting that everyone has access to a green space within a 15-minute walking distance from where they live.
The charity also claims in the report that "The UK’s role in the European colonial project has also driven the current climate and nature crises."
The Wildlife Countryside and Link report was submitted to MPs on the APPG for Race and Community to provide "evidence" on the links between climate change and "systemic racism." This is in response to the APPG asking for evidence last year to support claims that ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by "climate change."
Furthermore, the report accuses the United Kingdom's so-called "role in the European colonial project" of driving "the current climate and nature crises."
"Colonialism has driven the exploitation and erasure of the rights and knowledge of indigenous people, and the assertion of white, Western values and knowledge at the expense of other values and knowledges," the report adds.
Following an investigation into "rural racism" in the British countryside initiated by the "Hate Studies Unit" at the University of Leicester, allegations regarding the United Kingdom's role in climate change and the "colonial" influence of the British countryside surfaced.
A group called "Muslim Hikers," which encourages Muslims to explore the great outdoors, claimed that rural areas were unwelcoming to minority communities, according to the outlet.
