Home
Land, water nature, food: Nature’s recovery & achieving '30:30'
Have your say on how we can support nature's recovery, achieving '30 by 30' and beyond
Introduction
Over a million plants and animals are facing extinction globally and the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
The Government's target is to protect 30% of our land and sea for nature by 2030 ('30:30'), but at the moment only 3% of land and 8% of seas are protected.
In addition to the needs of other species, we often overlook that we rely on healthy ecosystems for our own survival, to grow food, have clean water, breathable air.
With so much pressure on land use in our region, we need to consider how we can reintegrate ourselves with the rest of nature, actively restore our habitats and meet a 30 by 30 target across Yorkshire and Humber, as a minimum.
Below you will find a draft report, bringing together the themes, thoughts and existing research and informed by our Delivering Impact session on this topic, setting out actions we can take in the region to progress nature's recovery and take the lead on scalable initiatives to reverse the loss of species.
Please read the report (or the summary in the box if you're pressed for time) and give us your views in the short survey below.
Read our draft Regional Climate Action Report
We have prepared a report (you can read and download it below) bringing in ideas and expertise from our commissioners, research, and experts who are tackling the problem across the country, in the region, and on the ground. You can watch the expert speaker session in the video at the foot of this page.
At this stage, the report might not give the full picture so we would really value your feedback. The ideas we are discussing affect everyone - we want to know what you think. Please give your responses in the survey below.
Key messages
The draft report highlights four key themes on how we can support nature's recovery and adopt the Government's commitment to protecting 30% of land and sea for wildlife by 2030 (30 by 30) in the region:
Land that provides multiple uses and benefits
Designing for nature
Connecting habitat through corridors and 'stepping stones'
Nature's recovery in human-dominated environments.
These do not capture everything that can happen to support nature's recovery - they outline some of the key changes that could speed up our progress. We welcome input on whether these capture the essence of what is needed for nature and whether the proposed regional actions in the draft report around policy and strategy, finance and investment, and culture and behaviour, will lead to a just and inclusive transition to a future where nature thrives.
What we would like to know
We would like your input to challenge and shape the ideas set out in this first draft.
We are keen to hear from experts on different aspects of nature's recovery to ensure rigour in our interpretation of the science and social factors underpinning this paper.
We are equally keen to hear the views of people who live and work in Yorkshire and Humber to ensure our final position paper and actions address the needs of communities and nature across the region.
Check out the report on nature's recovery
Watch this video if you are interested in watching the full recording of the expert panel presentations on nature's recovery, reaching 30 by 30 and beyond. Watching this video is optional and if you do not want to watch, simply click 'next' to submit your survey.
We heard from three expert speakers in our Delivering Impact Session on 6th December 2022, each presenting their perspectives on what needs to happen for nature to recover, and then discussed the opportunities and the actions we could take as a region.
Linking the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis
Professor Sir John Lawton - President, Yorkshire Wildlife TrustPeatland restoration in action
Tessa Levens - Yorkshire Peat PartnershipLiving well with nature: rewilding in an urban setting
Dr Nicky Rivers - Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust
This engagement phase has finished
...
