74% of the public think major landowners should protect nature, but new analysis exposes gaps in progress towards crucial nature target as leaders gather at UN Biodiversity Conference 

England’s biggest landowners must do more to protect nature on their land according to the public, as a new assessment reveals stark differences in how landowners including the Church of England, Duchy of Cornwall and Yorkshire Water, are contributing to the Government target of protecting 30% of the country’s land for nature by 2030.

A consumer poll has found 74% of respondents think that major landowners have a responsibility to protect nature, with 32% believing that they have a ‘great deal’ of responsibility and 43% a ‘fair amount’*. Although the Government suggests that 32% of England’s land “meets or has the potential to meet” its ‘30 by 30’ target, a coalition of Nature NGOs estimate that just 2.83% currently meets the criteria, raising questions about how major landowners are managing their land for nature, and how much more could be done. 

To examine how major landowners are contributing to this goal, campaign group Wild Card and environmentalist and author Guy Shrubsole have assessed the plans released by members of the National Estate for Nature (NEN); the Government-led coalition of public, private and third-sector landowners working to drive nature recovery. With major landowners crucial to turning the potential identified by the Government into effective protection for nature, the findings come at a critical moment, as officials, including Minister for Nature Mary Creagh MP, gather at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP) to report on progress towards the ‘30 by 30’ goal.

The assessment places the Church of England at the bottom of the rankings for institutional efforts to protect nature. Of the 105,000 acres managed by the Church Commissioners, just 1% is currently protected, and the organisation has no publicly stated target for how it will contribute to the UK Government’s ambition to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Yorkshire Water and the Canal & River Trust were also among the lowest-ranked organisations.

At the other end of the rankings, The Wildlife Trusts, which is aiming to have 100% of its land protected for nature by 2030, came top, followed by the RSPB and the Duchy of Cornwall. 

The assessment compares NEN members against a range of criteria, which each landowner agreed to adhere to as part of the coalition. This includes the proportion of their land currently protected for nature, their commitments to protect land by 2030, and their commitments to targets set out in the Environment Act.

Wild Card campaigner Rebecca Lindsay said: “It’s clear from the lack of progress of landowners like the Church of England that voluntary commitments alone won’t cut it. The National Estate for Nature framework must be overhauled to ensure transparency, measurable progress and real accountability. Every landowner with holdings of 1,000 hectares or more should be required to participate, set clear targets for their own estates and demonstrate how they will contribute to 30by30.”

Guy Shrubsole, environmental campaigner and author, added: “There’s less than four years to go until 2030, but the Government is woefully behind on its promise to protect 30% of England for nature. Less than 1% of the population owns half of all land in England, so if we are serious about restoring nature, the country’s largest landowners must step up to the plate. Protecting at least 30% of land is the absolute minimum needed to halt the catastrophic loss of biodiversity, tackle climate change and revive the essential ecosystem services on which we all depend.”