Government to protect 30 per cent of land by 2030

The government has announced that it will protect 30 per cent of the UK’s land by 2030, as part of plans to put nature and biodiversity on a road to recovery by 2030.

Existing National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected areas already comprise approximately 26 per cent of land in England. An additional four per cent will be protected to support the recovery of nature. This equates to approximately 400,000 hectares.

The government will work with the Devolved Administrations to agree an approach across the UK, as well as with landowners and civil society to explore how best to increase the size and value of our protected land.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to sign the Leaders Pledge for Nature at a virtual United Nations event, committing to put nature and biodiversity on a road to recovery by 2030. The Leaders Pledge for Nature commits world leaders to take ten urgent actions, including on sustainable food production, ending the illegal wildlife trade and implementing nature-based solutions for climate change.

He will say: “We must turn these words into action and use them to build momentum, to agree ambitious goals and binding targets. We must act now – right now. We cannot afford dither and delay because biodiversity loss is happening today and it is happening at a frightening rate. Left unchecked, the consequences will be catastrophic for us all. Extinction is forever – so our action must be immediate.”