How can we spur private investment to meet 30x30 nature recovery obligations?

29 November 2024

The Government is committed to preserving 30% of land and sea in England by 2030. At the end of October 2024, the Government stated that just 7% of land is currently protected for nature. With just over five years to go, can private investment spur nature protection schemes that will see the pledge become reality?

Ahead of the General Election, the predecessor Environmental Audit Committee inquired into ‘the role of natural capital in the green economy’ to consider how Government policy is supporting and promoting investment in nature recovery.

The new Committee has revived this inquiry, with a view to making recommendations to Government in the coming months. Stakeholders who wish to send in written evidence to this revived inquiry can make submissions through the Committee’s evidence portal until 5pm on 20 December 2024: https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3499

On Wednesday, the Committee will hold the first of two ‘recap’ evidence sessions to take stock of the current position on natural capital.

Former Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Philip Dunne, will reflect on what the predecessor Committee heard. He is likely to cover the importance of developing a natural capital approach to the management of the economy, and the potential benefits for the environment of encouraging private investment to nature recovery schemes.

Representatives of landowners will then offer their view as to the appetite in the sector to attract private investment into schemes focused on environmental improvement; the take-up of Government-backed schemes promoting nature restoration, and how schemes – such as delivering biodiversity net gain – are working.

Representatives of the financial sector will close the session by considering the financial mechanisms currently in place to drive investment, and whether further Government action is needed to spur private investment into nature recovery.

On Wednesday 4 December at 2.15pm, The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Witnesses

From 2.15pm:

Rt Hon Philip Dunne, Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee (2020—2024)

From 2.45pm:

Judicaelle Hammond, Director of Policy and Advice, Country Land and Business Association
Alan Carter, Chief Executive Officer, The Land Trust

From 3.30pm:

Helen Avery, Director, Nature Programmes and GFI Hive, Green Finance Institute
Kate McGavin, Chief Policy and Strategy Officer, National Wealth Fund

Further information

Image: Unsplash