Church of England votes against rewilding plan but biodiversity booms in Irish churchyards

‘30 by 30 is a global agreement to dedicate 30 per cent of our land to nature by 2030,’ Isabella Tree, owner of the Knepp Estate, explained in a video message shown to the Synod. ‘It’s absolutely vital, because nature is the life support system on which all species, including us, depend.’

The Church of England General Synod voted against a motion to restore 30 per cent of its land for nature on 14 July.

Instead, the Synod passed a separate amendment put forward by Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher, a trustee of the church commissioners and lead bishop for the environment.

The UK has agreed to the goal of rewilding 30 per cent of land by 2030, and other large landowners such as the Crown Estates and the National Trust have signed up to this target. The Church of England owns 0.5 per cent of the land in England, much of which is tenanted farmland.

Revd Val Plumb, who put forward the original motion, criticised the amendment for lacking “a target for protecting nature”, which she said was a “crucial element” of the motion.

She told the Synod that the UK has lost nearly half of its natural biodiversity since the Industrial Revolution.

“In the last 50 years, over 40 million birds have disappeared from our skies, 97 per cent of wild flower meadows since the 1930s, thousands of ancient woodlands, and around a quarter of our native mammal species are now facing extinction.”

“The biodiversity crisis and subsequent climate collapse are now recognised as a national security threat.”

Revd Plumb said that the 30 per cent for rewilding could come from low-productivity land, which equates to just 1.6 per cent of the commissioner’s portfolio, while nature-friendly farming could continue on higher grade land.

“Rental income would continue, and it’s been proven that nature restoration can be profitable,” she said.

“As Christians, it’s critical for us to be able to draw a line between making profit and the very sanctity of life itself.

“Because this isn’t just about a bid for resources or finance. It’s a profound call for mission. Nature is an essential infrastructure that needs to be supported.

“The biodiversity crisis will not wait. If we don’t act now, we will betray all future generations to come.”

Bishop Usher said he was “grateful to Val Plumb for bringing her motion and for her commitment to nature recovery”, but that as a “pragmatist” he “wanted General Synod to pass proposals that are workable”.

The amendment “recognises the important role that large landowners such as the Church can play in responding to the escalating nature and climate crises”, but does not include any measurable rewilding targets.

It “requests” the church commissioners to consider “responsible investment efforts to continue to contribute to the UK Government’s implementation” of its biodiversity goals.

The Synod also committed to continue to support nature restoration projects “where appropriate” and to “engage and collaborate with tenants about sustainable farming”.

The Synod members disagreed on whether Revd Plumb’s motion would have faced legal obstacles if passed.

Church estates commissioner Alan Smith said, “The church commissioner’s real estate team assessed the impact of 30 by 30 on our land as proposed by this motion and concluded that it would indeed have a material negative impact and divert resources away from the church’s mission.

“We have already and are committed to and taken substantial work within our charitable objectives that demonstrate a strong commitment to nature and biodiversity.

“If the church wishes to provide to prioritise distributions for rewilding that should be pursued through the triennium funding process and make the hard choices there.

“What is not easily deliverable is the approach proposed by this motion recalibrating and hardwiring changes into the commissioner’s investment risk parameters.

“That risk will lead to suboptimal decisions. In effect, it would knowingly be scattering seed on rocky soil.”

However, Revd Catherine Shelley said, “The commissioners are no under no inhibition from investing in this positive long-term investment and there are no other legal obstacles either.

On the contrary, it is clear that there are highly compelling reasons of Christian theology and Anglican ecclesiology, supported by powerful moral and ethical arguments, that the commissioners ought to be working towards the target set by international law and adopted by the government of the UK.

“This is not only a legal duty and ethical imperative. It is the good news at work in our lives for us and for future generations. It’s not a diversion of resources. It is the church’s mission.”

Bishop Usher said, “Let’s not forget that over 90 per cent of our tenants are actively involved in increasing biodiversity.

“Over 80 per cent participate in stewardship schemes and more than half have adopted regenerative farming approaches. Significant progress has been made and will continue to be made.”

The Irish Catholic bishops’ conference agreed in 2023 that parishes would return 30 per cent of church grounds to nature by 2030. 

Unlike the Church of England, this however does not include tenanted farmland, but focuses on land owned by parish churches, such as churchyards.

An original pilot project was led by Clare County Council’s biodiversity officer, Barry O’Loughlin, organising rewilding presentations and training church groundkeepers.

The initiative has now spread to over 22 Catholic and two Church of Ireland churches in the county, and is also growing in parishes in Louth, Wexford, Limerick, Cork, Leitrim as well as Knock Shrine in Mayo.

Pollinator friendly trees have been planted and swift and owl nest boxes installed on church buildings, leading to the appearance of rare wildflowers, insects, and birds.

“Church grounds are the focal point of every town and village in the country and a great way to provide a refuge for wildlife and give biodiversity visibility in the community,” O’Loughlin said.

Back to nature – think like a Lynx

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