“Net Zero for Nature” Targets Promised

This year, the UK government announced a new set of measures and targets which have been described by the Environment Secretary as a “net zero equivalent” for nature. We explore these in more detail below.

A legally binding 2030 target to address wildlife loss

The government has promised to halt the decline of nature, and this includes a legally binding target which spurs action to address the biodiversity crisis. This ‘net zero for nature’ announcement was welcomed by environmental campaigners who believe it is an important milestone, as long as the legal detail is correct and adhered to. The target currently only applies in England but it is hoped that it might inspire similar announcements in the devolved nations and other countries around the world.

Only 20% of the UK’s peatlands are thought to be in good condition.

Measures to protect and restore peatlands

As part of the new set of measures, there is a great emphasis on England’s peatlands.

Peatlands are important because, like trees, they store carbon. In fact, it is thought they store three times as much carbon as forests! However, if peatlands become unhealthy or damaged, they will start to leak the carbon out again which contributes to overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Only 20% of the UK’s peatlands are thought to be in good condition currently and it is estimated that the unhealthy peat could give off as much as 23 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

To combat this, the government plans to ban sales of peat compost to gardeners in England by 2024 in order to preserve the peatlands as much as possible.

They will also provide funding to restore 35,000 hectares (86,000 acres) of degraded peatlands in the next four years. This amounts to about 1% of the UK’s total peatlands.

According to the BBC, Craig Bennet, the chief executive of the Wildlife Trust, described this initial target as disappointing and called for the restoration of 30% of land and sea by 2030 to help repair habitats and store more carbon.

Tree planting

Tree planting is another area that the government wants to focus on in order to restore the natural environment. They are planning to treble tree planting rates in England and this will be funded through £500 million from the Nature for Climate Fund.

A new multi-million pound tree planting grant will also be put in place to provide incentives for landowners and farmers to plant and manage trees. At least three new community forests will be created to allow more people to be closer to nature and enable the planting of 6,000 hectares of new woodland by 2025, building on the 500 hectares planted in the last year.

Peatlands and woodlands are the initial focus of the government’s target to reduce nature loss by 2030, but we may well see new initiatives being created in the future! It’s a great start and we hope to see a continued focus on biodiversity and restoring the natural environment.

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