July 16th, 2026
30by30: A delivery plan needs to explain delivery
The Government’s new 30by30 Delivery Plan has been met with widespread disappointment across the conservation sector. The concerns are well founded. Many have highlighted the lack of a credible pathway to protecting 30% of England’s land for nature by 2030, the reliance on voluntary action, limited funding, and the absence of stronger statutory measures.
Environmental Law Foundation shares these concerns.
The plan rightly recognises that nature is fundamental to England’s future. It describes nature as underpinning our prosperity, wellbeing and long-term economic success. If that is truly the case, then nature recovery should be treated as a core national priority, with a delivery framework to match.
If the Government were publishing a delivery plan for energy security, we would expect it to set out clear responsibilities, investment, regulation, milestones and accountability. We would not expect it to rely on encouraging providers to do the right thing and inviting voluntary participation. If the Government believes nature is fundamental to our economic resilience and national prosperity, it deserves the same clarity of governance and delivery.
Instead, much of the plan is written in the language of encouragement. Landowners are encouraged to assess their land. Partnerships will be developed. Funding streams will be explored. Communities, businesses and volunteers are invited to contribute.
These are all valuable ingredients. But they are not, by themselves, a delivery framework.
At Environmental Law Foundation, we are seeing a growing number of enquiries from communities concerned about threats to their local biodiversity. That tells us that people care deeply about protecting nature and are willing to play their part. Communities, landowners, businesses and conservation organisations all have an essential role to play in reversing nature’s decline. But if the Government is serious about achieving 30by30, it must move beyond encouraging participation and set out the governance, accountability and practical mechanisms that will turn ambition into delivery.