Just 7% of England is currently protected for nature, the Government has said, as it set out rules to help meet a global goal to protect 30% of land by 2030.
Officials said protected landscapes such as national parks, will deliver the “backbone” of areas conserved for nature, though they currently do not count towards the total, and the target could also include areas of nature-friendly farming.
The UK has signed up to global commitments to protect 30% of its land and seas for nature by 2030, known as 30×30, as part of efforts to halt catastrophic declines in wildlife.
The Government has published the criteria for what land can be counted towards the target, as countries meet in Colombia for the latest round of international talks on restoring nature.
The move has been welcomed by conservationists as “an important step” for delivering on the 30X30 pledge, but they called for it to be matched by high-speed delivery.
Draft criteria on what can be classed as protected for nature to meet the 30% target for land in England were published under the previous government last year, concluding 8.5% of land was covered by conservation designations.
Now the Labour government has published the final criteria, and said only Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that are in a favourable or unfavourable but recovering condition, which make up around 6.4% of England’s land area, can count towards the target.
A further 0.7% of land is covered by national nature reserves and public woodland which is being managed favourably for wildlife, bringing the total to 7.1%.
The criteria say that to count towards the 30% target, areas of land must show their purpose includes conservation, which should be sustained over the long term for at least 20 years, and that the area will be protected against loss or damage to wildlife.
As well as this, they should be effectively managed to deliver outcomes for nature.
The Environment Department (Defra) said analysis was now being undertaken to identify further land that was already meeting the criteria, while a pilot scheme will begin later this year and a delivery strategy will be developed in 2025.
New contributions to the 30X30 total will be voluntary, so buy in from landowners and managers will be “crucial to achieving the target”, Defra said.
It will be incorporating 30X30 into schemes such as the environmental land management schemes (ELMs) which pay landowners to deliver for wildlife through a range of measures from rewilding to nature-friendly farming and habitat creation – but which have been threatened with budget cuts.
Tony Juniper, chair of the Government nature agency Natural England, said it was vital to halt and reverse the decline of nature, which was fundamental for sustaining health, wealth and security.
“We must take urgent action to restore nature in England at every level, and the criteria for delivering 30×30 is a welcome step which translates the ambitions of our international commitments into meaningful action on the ground.”
Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “The Government has taken an important step in ensuring the 30×30 promise is delivered.
“Now, high-standard accounting must be matched by high-speed delivery.
“There’s a credible risk that Governments spend years adding up what should ‘count’ toward 30×30 without actually improving the world.
“We welcome the new commitment to a 30×30 delivery strategy, which must begin without delay, backed by serious regulation and investment.”
Elliot Chapman-Jones, head of public affairs for The Wildlife Trusts, warned progress since the 30×30 commitment was made “has been embarrassingly slow”.
He said: “The UK Government must urgently bring forward a plan to help protect and manage more land and sea for nature recovery by the end of the decade.
“Underinvesting in our natural infrastructure now will only create bigger problems for future generations.”
