Rebecca Pow MP
Minister for NatureIn the global effort to tackle the climate crisis, nature restoration is one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal. Climate and nature are twin challenges that must be tackled in tandem, rather than distinct issues.
Nature supports the ecological systems that are the very foundations of our daily life. It underpins the air we breathe, water supply, medicines, and our food security. We simply cannot address the climate crisis without working to halt the decline of nature, and vice versa.
As Environment Minister, I recently attended the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi to discuss with ministers from around the world the growing environmental challenges we face, such as air quality and nature loss – both of which are linked to a changing climate. On top of this, we have the detrimental impacts of plastic pollution coming into play too.
Nature Restoration on the Global Stage
On an international stage, the Government has fought hard to champion nature recovery as a global priority. At COP15, the UK was instrumental in developing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which set out groundbreaking targets to protect biodiversity across the world. At the centre of these agreements are the goals of protecting 30 per cent of our land and ocean for nature, as well as halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
This was a crucial moment in putting nature at the top of the global agenda, and we have continued our work to promote the protection of nature at an international level. At COP28 at the end of last year, we published a framework for achieving 30by30, alongside a map of which areas could contribute to the goal.
And the UK has been working to back this up with further action. It is, sadly, the case that an area of forest the size of the UK is cut down each year to meet the UK’s demand for commodities, which has a huge impact on global biodiversity and climate.
At COP28, we announced game-changing legislation to ensure that the products containing palm oil, soy, and cocoa on our supermarket shelves are not there as a result of illegal deforestation.
The legislation we announced will give consumers the peace of mind that their supermarket shop will not contribute to the destruction of forest habitats and will help to protect safe havens for species such as orangutans, leopards, and jaguars. It will also mean that huge areas of forest will continue to act as a carbon store.
We’re Going Further and Faster for Nature at Home
Leaving nature in a better state than we found it in is not only a central mission for this Government but also something I am very proud to have helped drive forward in government. The truth is that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries globally, which is why the domestic action we have taken is so important. That is why we have created the framework through our Environment Act, and the Environmental Improvement Plan that stems from it, which sets legally binding targets with actions on how to deliver clean air and water, restore nature and use our resources efficiently.
I am proud to be part of a government that recognises the vital importance of nature, both for the positive effect it can have on our communities and as an essential part of the effort to meet our legally binding target to reach net zero by 2050.
We are focused on taking joined-up action to bring benefits to the climate through nature. We have launched the £750 million Nature for Climate Fund, which supports nature-based solutions for climate resilience, including tree planting and peatland restoration. This fund will help us reach our target to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament and to achieve at least 16.5 per cent of tree and woodland cover by 2050.
We are already taking strides towards this goal; we have planted 3,600 hectares of new woodland – equivalent to 4,800 full-size football pitches. Every tree we plant can absorb up to 150 kg of carbon per year, meaning that they will play a crucial role in the push towards net zero and they will also create habitats for wildlife and provide valuable spaces for communities to engage with nature.
Planting trees is not the only way we can make our landscapes our allies in the effort to reach net zero. Peatlands are often overlooked but they’re our largest terrestrial store of carbon, as well as rich habitats for wildlife. However, around 87 per cent of these landscapes are dried out or degraded and peatlands in England emit millions of tonnes of carbon each year.
As a government, we have set the target to restore 35,000 hectares of peatland by the end of this Parliament. This will create huge carbon stores, exemplifying how efforts to restore nature and protect the climate can work hand in hand. Creating healthier peatlands also serves as a form of climate adaptation by slowing the flow of water through the landscape and preventing flooding, as well as creating important habitats for species such as the curlew and skylark.
One of the fastest-moving areas in the push to combat climate change is the deployment of markets to benefit the environment. Carbon markets are becoming increasingly developed and this can offer an example of how a green economy can be shaped to benefit nature as well. This is just one of the reasons we set our goal to grow annual private investment flows to nature to at least £500 million every year by 2027 in England, rising to more than £1 billion by 2030.
Biodiversity Net Gain offers a pioneering example of how nature markets can be set up to create tangible benefits for habitats and wildlife. Through BNG, new major developments are required to provide at least 10 per cent biodiversity net gain, with small developments going live in April this year. This policy prioritises the creation of nature on site, but when this is not possible, there is also the opportunity to buy off-site biodiversity units or statutory credits – this is a trailblazing nature market, which will help to deliver benefits for the environment while ensuring that land managers can be paid for delivering these benefits.
When I visited a BNG site at Woodberry Wetlands in North London in January, I saw first-hand the good work that developers are already doing to create places for nature to flourish and I am excited to see this positive impact being replicated through developments across the country.
Having come to parliament from an agricultural background, I have always tried to approach my work with an understanding that nature and its relationship to our climate are complex, so restoring nature requires far-reaching action. We must, and will, continue to work to advocate for nature at home and across the globe, not just because of the integral role nature plays in our efforts to combat the climate crisis but because of the many benefits restoring the natural world has for our precious species and our people.
Final Thought:
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