The Church of England’s General Synod voted against a proposal to commit to restoring 30% of its landholdings for nature by 2030. The motion, introduced by Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, aimed to align the church’s practices with an international commitment made by the UK and more than 100 other nations to restore 30% of land for nature by that date. According to environmental advocates, this target represents the minimum threshold necessary to halt and reverse the global decline in biodiversity.
The church, which owns approximately 42,500 hectares of land, currently dedicates only 3.5% of its holdings to nature restoration. The proposed motion was blocked on Tuesday, with the national assembly passing an alternative amendment introduced by Right Rev Graham Usher, the lead bishop for the environment. This amended version avoids specific numerical targets while committing to general actions such as continuing to support nature restoration projects where deemed appropriate and engaging with tenants regarding sustainable farming practices.
Opponents of the original motion cited legal and financial considerations. William Nye, secretary general of the archbishops’ council, stated that Plumb’s proposal conflicted with the church’s legal obligations and responsibility to maintain “long-term capital growth.” Church commissioners emphasized that approximately 90% of their farmland portfolio consists of productive or highly productive agricultural land, asserting that their strategy focuses on integrating nature recovery into working agricultural landscapes while sustaining food production and supporting rural business resilience.
Environmental organizations expressed disappointment with the decision. Claire Rogers, a campaigner with Wild Card, criticized the church for missing an opportunity to demonstrate moral leadership, noting that the decision fell short of necessary action as wildlife populations decline. She referenced the commitment made by over 190 countries to the 30by30 target. Other major English landowners have established measurable environmental targets; the crown estate, for example, has committed to managing 36% of its land for nature by 2030. England currently has only 7% of land meeting the 30by30 criteria, according to figures released when the government published its own strategy to reach the target earlier in the week.
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