A raft of new projects designed to help the UK tackle the climate and nature emergency is announced by The Wildlife Trusts. They focus on employing nature-based solutions to increase carbon storage while restoring habitats on land and at sea.
The 12 schemes include a pioneering collaboration to improve huge tracts of fragmented wetlands across four neighbouring counties in England and Wales – paving the way for the reintroduction of beavers as well as restoring precious peatland habitats across Cumbria, Durham, Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Somerset and expanding saltmarsh restoration along the Essex coast
The projects, which will help the UK achieve its ambition of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, are able to move forward thanks to almost £2 million in funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
In other areas, new seagrass habitats will be planted in the Solent, fragmented woodlands will be restored and connected throughout Derbyshire, habitat features to protect temperature-sensitive chalk grassland butterflies in Bedfordshire will be created, and support will be given to a pioneering project to restore a kelp forest off the Sussex coast.
As the UK gears up to hosting the UN climate conference COP 26 in November, The Wildlife Trusts – a movement of 46 nature charities – are delivering on-the-ground, natural solutions to ensure the UK plays its part in tackling the interlinked climate and nature crises.
The restoration of the natural world is fundamental to realising the ambition to restrict global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says:
“Nature can be our biggest ally in limiting global temperature rises, but we have to give it a huge helping hand. We need to cut emissions at source to fight climate change – and we can also have a big impact by restoring nature because wilder places lock-up carbon.
“That means repairing the amazing habitats in our seas, rewetting peatlands, dramatically changing how we manage farmland, rewilding landscapes, and bringing back habitats that have been lost.
“Crucially, we need to fund projects that get results. Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we’re delighted to move forward with these 12 high-impact schemes, which will help to bring nature back and store carbon – both on land and at sea.”
