News summary produced by Claude AI
The Church of England’s General Synod voted against a motion calling for the denomination to restore 30% of its land for nature by 2030. The motion, introduced by Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, was blocked on Tuesday. Instead, the synod passed an alternative amendment that does not commit to specific rewilding targets.
As one of England’s largest landowners with approximately 42,500 hectares of property, the Church of England currently dedicates just 3.5% of its holdings to nature restoration efforts. The rejected motion aligned with an international commitment made by the UK and over 100 other nations to restore 30% of their land for nature, a threshold scientists consider the minimum necessary to arrest and reverse declining wildlife populations. The alternative amendment, introduced by Right Rev Graham Usher, the lead bishop for the environment, outlines six general steps including supporting nature restoration projects where deemed suitable and collaborating with tenants regarding sustainable farming practices.
Church officials cited legal obligations and fiduciary responsibilities as reasons for opposing the measurable target. William Nye, secretary general of the archbishops’ council, stated that the original motion conflicted with the church’s duty to ensure long-term capital growth. The Church Commissioners emphasized that approximately 90% of their farmland portfolio consists of productive agricultural land, stating their focus would remain on integrating nature recovery into active farming landscapes while supporting food production and rural business resilience.
Environmental advocates criticized the decision as a missed opportunity for moral leadership. Claire Rogers of Wild Card, a citizens’ movement lobbying major landowners to commit to rewilding, argued the church should have supported the 30by30 motion, noting that nearly 190 countries have adopted this standard. Other major landowners, including the crown estate, have established measurable conservation targets, with the crown estate committing to manage 36% of its land for nature by 2030. Meanwhile, the government’s recently published strategy to meet its own 30by30 target faced criticism from environmental organizations as inadequate, with England currently meeting the criteria on just 7% of its land.