England’s Voluntary 30-by-30 Nature Plan Faces Sharp Criticism and Internal Church Debate

On 13 July 2026 the UK government released a strategy to protect and restore nature across England by 2030, aiming to meet the “30 by 30” target pledged by more than 100 nations at the 2022 COP15 talks in Montreal. The plan relies on landowners voluntarily opting in to enhance habitats; it does not create new legal protections. Government analysis shows only 7 % of English land currently meets the target, while the strategy identifies about 32 % of the country as having potential to contribute. No timetable is provided for designating additional Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), the “gold-standard” protected areas that can be counted toward the goal.

The Guardian

Environment Minister Mary Creagh described the document as “a call to action for land managers, farmers and communities to work together to secure the natural systems that underpin a healthy, resilient and prosperous country.” The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) issued a brief statement calling the strategy “deeply disappointing and completely insufficient.” The Church Commissioners, which manage the Church of England’s endowment, said the 30 by 30 target is “an important national target” but emphasized that their efforts focus on “sustainable farming, forestry, renewable energy and thriving communities.”

The Guardian

Nature writer Guy Shrubsole labeled the plan “pathetic” and “completely insufficient,” urging a shift to legally mandated protection, duties for national parks and the Forestry Commission, and expanded funding for landscape recovery projects. Conservationist Chris Packham highlighted that “50 % of the land is owned by 1 % of the people,” making access for conservation “a constant struggle.” Veteran Conservative environmentalist Ben Goldsmith dismissed the voluntary approach as “nonsense,” noting new revenue streams from nature that did not exist a decade ago.

The Guardian

Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, introduced a motion at the General Synod to rewild 30 % of the church’s land by 2030, arguing the country’s land is “crying and dying out for liberation.” She noted that only 3.5 % of the church’s holdings are currently used for restoration. Opposing her, William Nye, secretary-general of the Archbishops’ Council, said the motion conflicts with the church’s legal obligations and long-term capital growth responsibilities.

The Guardian

A legal opinion commissioned by the campaign group Wild Card, authored by Prof Mark Hill KC, concluded the church is legally free to restore 30 % of its land and urged the commissioners to act “as a matter of expedition without the need for litigation.” The Church Commissioners, however, maintain that their current land-management policies are consistent with legal duties, focusing on broader sustainability goals rather than a strict 30 by 30 mandate.

The Guardian

Verbatim Quotes

The Guardian

• “It’s pathetic.” — Guy Shrubsole, nature writer

The Guardian

• “The country’s land was ‘crying and dying out for liberation’.” — Rev Canon Val Plumb, area dean

The Guardian

• “It is a whole slew of revenues you can get now from nature that weren’t there five or 10 years ago.” — Ben Goldsmith, veteran Conservative environmentalist

The Guardian

• “So as a consequence of that, we’ve always struggled to be able to access or afford land for any nature conservation purposes.” — Chris Packham, environmentalist and TV presenter

The Guardian

• “It is to be hoped that the commissioners will revisit their current policies and implement the 30by30 target as a matter of expedition without the need for litigation.” — Prof Mark Hill KC, legal opinion

The Guardian