News summary produced by Claude AI
The Church of England’s General Synod voted down a motion on Tuesday that would have committed the institution to restoring 30% of its approximately 42,500 hectares of land for nature by 2030. The proposal, introduced by Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, aligned with an international commitment made by the UK and more than 100 other nations to achieve the same restoration target by 2030, which experts consider the minimum necessary to halt and reverse global nature decline.
Instead of supporting Plumb’s motion, the synod passed an alternative amendment proposed by Right Rev Graham Usher, the lead bishop for the environment. This amendment outlines six alternative steps the church will pursue, including continuing to support nature restoration projects where appropriate and engaging with tenants about sustainable farming practices. However, it does not establish any specific measurable rewilding targets or timelines.
Church leadership defended the decision, citing legal obligations and fiduciary responsibilities. William Nye, secretary general of the archbishops’ council, stated that Plumb’s motion conflicted with the church’s duty to ensure long-term capital growth. Church commissioners noted that approximately 90% of their farmland portfolio consists of productive or highly productive agricultural land, and indicated their focus would remain on integrating nature recovery into working landscapes while supporting food production and rural business resilience.
Environmental campaigners criticized the outcome as a missed opportunity for moral leadership. Claire Rogers of Wild Card, a citizens’ movement urging major landowners to rewild their land, pointed out that nearly 190 countries have committed to the 30by30 target for good reason. She noted that wildlife is collapsing in the countryside and called for much greater action than what the church committed to on Tuesday.
Other major English landowners have adopted more ambitious targets. The crown estate has committed to managing 36% of its land for nature by 2030. Meanwhile, the government’s own 30by30 strategy, published earlier in the week, faced criticism from environmental groups, while currently only 7% of English land meets the 30by30 criteria.