PM commits to protecting more of Britain’s nature

PM commits to protecting more of Britain’s nature

The Prime Minister is today (Monday) promising to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030.

Existing National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected areas already comprise approximately 26% of land in England, and Boris Johnson is pledging to increase that by an additional 4%.

That means an extra 400,000 hectares of English countryside – an area the size of the Lake District and South Downs national parks combined – will be protected to support the recovery of nature.

The announcement comes as the Prime Minister is signing the Leaders Pledge for Nature at a virtual United Nations event today, committing to put nature and biodiversity on a road to recovery by 2030.

Boris Johnson is warning that countries must act now to reverse devastating biodiversity loss and prevent more species from being lost forever, with a 68% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970 alone.

“We must turn these words into action and use them to build momentum, to agree ambitious goals and binding targets,” said the Prime Minister.

“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.”

The Leaders Pledge for Nature commits world leaders to take 10 urgent actions, including on sustainable food production, ending the illegal wildlife trade and implementing nature-based solutions for climate change.

The UK has played a key role in negotiating the Pledge, alongside partners such as Costa Rica and the EU, and is now driving the campaign to bring other countries on board.

The government has already led, since 2019, the Global Ocean Alliance promoting a target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. The Alliance now has 30 countries signed up, with Guatemala joining this week.

It will now support the same commitment to protect land – the 30 by 30 campaign – and champion it with other countries as part of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.