Lead
The UK government's plan to protect and restore nature in England by 2030 has been condemned as "pathetic" and "completely insufficient" by critics, who argue it relies too heavily on voluntary action from landowners. At the same time, the Church of England has voted against committing to restore 30% of its land for nature, drawing further criticism from campaigners.Coverage Comparison
Two articles from The Guardian covered these intertwined developments. One focused on the Church of England's vote, highlighting the institution's failure to show "moral leadership" according to campaigners. The other centered on the government's newly published strategy, which critics say lacks the legal teeth needed to address the environmental crisis.Key Claims
Church of England's Vote
According to The Guardian, the Church of England owns approximately 425,000 hectares of land, making it one of England's biggest landowners. Currently, only 3.5% of its land is used for nature restoration. The General Synod, the church's national assembly, voted on a private motion introduced by the Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, which called for the church to rewild 30% of its land by 2030.The motion was blocked on Tuesday, with the assembly instead passing a separate amendment put forward by the Right Rev Graham Usher, the lead bishop for the environment. This amendment lists six steps, including "where appropriate, continue to support nature restoration projects" and "engage and collaborate with tenants about sustainable farming," but does not include any measurable rewilding targets.
In the run-up to the vote, William Nye, the secretary general of the archbishops' council, argued that Plumb's motion was inconsistent with the church's legal obligations and its responsibility to ensure "long-term capital growth."
Claire Rogers, a campaigner at Wild Card, a citizens' movement advocating for rewilding on large estates, said the church had missed an opportunity to show moral leadership. "At a time when wildlife is collapsing in our countryside, we need much greater action than has been committed to today," she said. "Over 190 countries, including our own, committed to 30by30 for a reason – they can't all be wrong."
Government's Nature Restoration Plan
The government's plan, published on Monday, calls for landowners to voluntarily opt to protect and enhance nature, rather than creating legal protections across more of the country's land, according to critics. Ministers said the strategy would accelerate action to meet the UK's international commitment to restore 30% of land for nature by 2030, a target agreed by more than 100 countries during COP15 negotiations in Montreal in 2022.However, with four years to go, the government's own analysis shows that just 7% of land in England currently meets the "30by30" criteria. The new plan identifies land covering about 32% of England that could contribute to the goal, but acknowledges that reaching the target will require a "step change" in ambition, coordination, and delivery.
Environment Minister Mary Creagh described the plan 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.
Nature writer Guy Shrubsole responded critically, calling the plan "pathetic" and accusing ministers of failing to take public control of the nature crisis. "In the dying days of [Keir] Starmer's government, ministers have admitted they're failing utterly to meet their own target to restore nature in England," he said. "So instead of an actual plan with fresh policies, they've issued this desperate plea to private landowners."