The Government has announced the introduction of a new ‘world-leading’ legally binding species abundance target for 2030, intended to halt the decline in nature and combat the climate and biodiversity crises.

The target, touted as the net zero equivalent for biodiversity, will be added into the Environment Bill. The exact metrics and scope of the target will be decided upon after global biodiversity targets have been agreed at the UN Nature Conference CBD COP15 this October, however the Government has reinforced its promise to drive forward the Leaders Pledge for Nature, committing to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, positioning England at the ‘forefront of international nature recovery’.

It is a relief to see England’s policy makers taking biodiversity seriously, following growing concern that the race to net zero carbon emissions might lead to close-minded, single-driver decisions that fail to take account of nature’s complexity.

It is crucial that those in power approach the biodiversity and climate crises as twin challenges. Policy has so far prioritised reducing carbon emissions, as carbon is easier to quantify and monitor, however we must not be stifled by metrics or forget about overall objectives simply because we struggle to define a unit of biodiversity.

WWF’s recent Feeling the Heat report clearly illustrates that a warming planet and the increasing decline of natural ecosystems unfortunately go hand in hand, and they must be tackled symbiotically.

To support the delivery of the legally binding species target, Natural England will establish a species reintroduction task force. The taskforce will consider the reintroduction of declining and lost species such as wildcat, beavers, golden eagle, pine marten, dormice and corncrakes. The Government is also re-focusing the Habitats Regulations to ensure legislation supports the new environmental targets set in the Environment Bill.

All action will be part of the national Nature Recovery Network, bringing together partners, legislation and funding to restore and enhance the natural environment. Last month, the government also released its Peat Action and Trees Action Plans, outlining how it intends to support and enable England to triple its tree-planting rates and triple the area of peatland restored annually.

These announcements signal a substantial step forward for England in its approach to tackling biodiversity loss and their delivery is backed up by a 48 per cent increase in Natural England’s budget this year. However, the UN recently announced that if the world is to meet its climate change and biodiversity targets, it needs to close a US$4.1 trillion financing gap in nature by 2050. The State of Finance for Nature report goes on to suggest that investments in nature-based solutions will need to at least triple by 2030.

Currently most investment in nature comes from public funding, however in order to close the finance gap, developing private markets for natural capital will be pivotal [see Is natural capital finally becoming a tangible reality?)

The biodiversity crisis is without doubt climbing up the UK’s political agenda, and it is encouraging that the Government appears to be taking not just the climate but also biodiversity seriously. Ambitious, legally binding targets are all well and good. However, it’s not just about the what and the why, ultimately we need to know the how. If government doesn’t provide detail on how we will reach these targets then the environmental policy gap will continue to grow and these targets will be nothing more than hot air.

And of course, if these targets apply at home but not to the production standards applied to the £50 billion of food we import every year, we fail to tackle the problem of unsustainable consumption in the round and risk simply exporting our problems overseas.

Further information

Contact Andrew Teanby

Savills Rural Research