Housing, health and planning must invest in nature to improve people’s lives, help cut emissions and rebuild the economy

New report calls on all parts of Government and local authorities to unlock the benefits of nature to society

A new report from The Wildlife Trusts reveals how restoring nature – at a time when it has never been more degraded – can bring wide-ranging benefits to society, help reach net-negative carbon emissions and rebuild the economy following the pandemic.

The report argues that taking a transformational approach to putting nature at the heart of a sustainable, green economy, will create more jobs, ensure that land and sea are properly managed for the long-term, enable people to live happier, healthier lives, and restore our much-depleted natural world.

A Wilder Recovery says that there has been a failure to recognise the vital role that nature plays in our society and economy – and that this must be urgently addressed with a £1 billion per year funding package to restore nature at scale.

Government spending on biodiversity has shrunk by 33% over five years even though big promises have been made to restore 30% of land for nature by 2030. Defra’s funding is inadequate to tackle the size of the task ahead, and other Government departments are doing little to help reach this target either. Worse still, some Government proposals such as planning reforms, threaten to damage our natural world even further.

The Wildlife Trusts believe