The amount of land that is “effectively protected” for nature in England has declined to just 2.93%, despite government promises to conserve 30% of it by 2030, new data reveals.
Campaigners are calling for a “rapid rescue package for UK nature”, as government delegates head to Cop16, the international nature summit, which will take place from 21 October in Colombia. They intend to ask other countries to stick to ambitious nature targets.
The commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 – sometimes called the 30x30 commitment – was made in 2020 by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson. But according to a report by Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), the amount of land in England that can be said to be effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93%, while the amount of sea protected is at 9.92%.
The land figure is down from last year’s update, which the WCL put at 3.11%, while 8% of sea in England was effectively protected for nature in 2023. Protecting land for nature means there are clear boundaries and laws in place to ensure wildlife is not harmed or destroyed and nature is not being depleted.
“While the Government’s initial assessment of land in England that could contribute to 30x30 includes all protected sites (covering approximately 8.5% of England’s land), this is inconsistent with their own draft 30x30 criteria, because many protected sites are not currently in favourable condition and therefore not delivering positive outcomes for biodiversity,” this year’s report says.
The land figure is falling owing to declines in quality of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), which are changing because of the climate crisis, water pollution and overgrazing. National parks should be areas where land is in good condition, but previous reports show that nature within these sites is often no better than outside them.
Currently only designated nature sites such as SSSIs within national parks count as protected for nature as the parks themselves are not specifically designed for nature but for recreation, unique views and other attributes.
There are small improvements in the protection of England’s seas because of new laws to prohibit destructive fishing. In March 2024, ministers introduced bylaws prohibiting bottom-towed fishing gear across some marine protected areas (MPAs).
Experts are calling on the government to set out plans for improving the condition of protected nature sites, and for bylaws to be published to halt damaging fishing activity across all MPAs by the end of 2024.
Katie-jo Luxton, the global conservation director of the RSPB, said: “We welcomed the commitment to protect 30% of our land for nature, but years have passed since this was made and we’re just not seeing the urgent action that is needed for nature recovery. Meanwhile, more species are being added to the red list of conservation concern, and this will only carry on if the conditions in our protected nature sites aren’t improved. We also need to see more places, from seabird-foraging areas to our ancient woodlands and upland peat bogs given protected status so they can revive threatened species such as puffin, curlew and willow tit.”
Richard Benwell, the CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, added: “The new government is going to need to take giant strides in the next six years to meet internationally agreed 2030 nature targets. As delegates arrive in Colombia for crucial nature talks, the UK has a major opportunity to show global environmental leadership. This must be backed up by action at home. As we approach the five-year countdown to the deadline to restore nature, we’re calling for a rapid rescue package for UK nature.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “Progress to restore nature has been too slow. Britain is currently one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, yet it underpins everything – the economy, food, health and society. It’s why this government has wasted no time in announcing a rapid review to deliver on our legally binding environment targets, including how we can accelerate progress to hitting our international commitments of protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030.”
• This article was amended on 4 October 2024 to clarify in the heading and an initial reference that the WCL’s 2.93% figure pertains to land in England it deems “effectively protected” for nature (that is, currently in a favourable condition), within the overall area of about 8% designated for protection under government policies.
