View from top of a mountain in Northern Ireland

Nature Positive 2030

24th September 2021

Nature Positive 2030 has been produced by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. It consists of two reports – a Summary Report and an Evidence Report. Nature Positive 2030 was published in September 2021 to mark the first anniversary of the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature.

Findings from the joint report shows that achieving nature commitments will deliver huge benefits to human health, well-being and our economy, and will require transformative change across society and in the way we protect, value, use and engage with nature. The Nature Positive 2030 report draws on a wealth of experience and innovation in the UK to present solutions that can be scaled up to achieve change.

The report showcases the importance of utilising natural solutions to tackle climate change, highlighting the essential role of nature in helping us survive our uncertain future, and emphasising that nature’s ability to do so depends upon biodiverse ecosystems that are resilient to the changes ahead. Delaying action for nature will lead to greater economic costs, and increased environmental risks.

The report also stresses the important role of nature in supporting human health and well-being, as demonstrated through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nature Positive 2030 sets out the priority actions and achievable steps for becoming “Nature Positive” – reversing biodiversity decline – by 2030, and concludes that we are currently not on track to becoming nature positive by 2030, but that this aim is achievable. The report recommends nine changes that can be delivered rapidly, by national and local governments, landowners, businesses and others that will have particularly high impacts on reversing biodiversity loss this decade. These are:

  • Ensuring wildlife thrives within protected areas on land and at sea.
  • Better conserve wildlife habitats outside protected areas, in particular those areas identified as parts of nature networks or as important blue/green infrastructure.
  • Investing in habitat restoration and creation to strengthen nature networks that deliver for biodiversity and climate change.
  • Ensuring outcomes for nature are integrated in development plans on land and at sea.
  • Tackling atmospheric and diffuse water pollution, especially from nitrogen and ammonia.
  • Developing the market for green finance.
  • Deploying nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation by default.
  • Developing the UK’s evidence base so that it is ready to support the larger, transformative changes underway.
  • Adopting targets to become nature positive.

The report stresses the need to put our ambitions for nature recovery on the same footing as those for climate change – those individuals, businesses, cities and governments that are striving to become Net Zero need to become nature positive too, including through adopting targets for nature, and taking nature positive actions such as through establishing wildlife habitat on land-holdings and gardens, ensuring nature is enhanced through supply chains, and using the power in our wallets to choose nature-friendly options in what we buy.

The priority actions identified in Nature Positive 2030 are about building a nature-rich future, with restored ecosystems that are more resilient to climate change and provide more benefits to more people.

Paul Donnelly, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), said:

Healthy nature sustains us. However, our biodiversity is under severe pressure, at a time when we have never been more in need of it to counter the impacts of climate change.

Achieving a nature positive future and restoring our natural capital is essential for our health, well-being and prosperity. We all have a role to play in safeguarding, restoring, and reconnecting with nature. The UK Nature Positive 2030 Report helps show how this can be done. The examples, including those from Northern Ireland, show that positive action is happening and delivering for nature and people. We need to build on and accelerate these actions to ensure that we are building resilient nature for now and for future generations.

The report will support UK activities at international and domestic levels, as we work to achieve ambitious global agreements for climate change and biodiversity at COP26 and COP15, providing the evidence base to demonstrate that the UK is leading by example.

Further information:

  • The report is available here : www.jncc.gov.uk/nature-positive-2030
  • Nature Positive 2030 is a publication by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
  • A partner pack of quotes is available here: https://we.tl/t-Zz0988IcUm