UK Target 11: The UK will restore, maintain and enhance nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services, such as the regulation of air, water and climate, soil health, pollination and reduction of disease risk, as well as protection from natural hazards and disasters, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature. 

Commitments:

UK

• In the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, the UK united with other countries to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 for sustainable development.
• Through the UK Marine Strategy, the UK is committed to the following target relating to marine ecosystem integrity: the structure, function, composition and abundance of the plankton community is not significantly adversely influenced by anthropogenic drivers.

England

• We will continue to deliver the agricultural transition to reinvest by the end of 2024 to incentivise farmers and land managers to improve soil health, restore peatland and establish and restore woodlands and forests, through our new Environmental Land Management schemes.
• We will bring at least 40% of England’s agricultural soil into sustainable management by 2028, increasing to 60% by 2030.
• We will restore approximately 280,000 ha of peatland in England by 2050.
• We will increase tree canopy and woodland cover to 16.5% of total land area in England by 2050, with an interim target: Increase England’s tree canopy and woodland cover by 0.33% of land area by December 2030 from the 2022 baseline of 14.9%. (Equivalent to a net increase of 43,000 ha).
• National Highways will publish a report on the opportunities to deliver multiple benefits from nature-based solutions in 2024 and will agree and implement a programme of nature-based solutions by 2030.
• We will require standardised sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in all new developments with drainage impacts and ensure sustainable maintenance arrangements are in place by 2029.
• We will better protect 52,000 properties from flooding by March 2026.
• We will make sure that 92% of Environment Agency maintained flood and coastal risk management assets are at or above target condition by March 2026.
• We will consider whether further reforms to the planning system are required to manage flood risk and coastal change in new developments as part of a planning reform consultation this year.

Scotland

• We will undertake a review of nature-based, green and blue infrastructure interventions which can benefit air quality, using the outcomes to develop a database of potential solutions for both regeneration and new developments.
• We will ensure that more people benefit directly or indirectly from Scotland’s forests and woodlands, through improvements to health, well-being, quality of life and life chances, or economic returns.
• We will continue to invest in the Water Environment Fund for river restoration, and focus it to provide benefits for people and communities.
• We will ensure we secure positive effects for biodiversity from our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Wales

• We have set out the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, which requires Natural Resources Wales to maintain and enhance resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they provide to well-being.
• We will encourage good forest design and sustainable management that makes a positive contribution to the character and quality of the landscape, improves the biodiversity value of the forests, and secures wider benefits, such as flood risk management. 
• We will improve the outdated drainage systems across Wales, with an emphasis on sustainable, nature-based drainage in our urban areas. This will include new frameworks for new development and incentivising natural interventions in areas of pressure by water, sewerage and drainage authorities. This will both increase green areas and resilience to changes in our climate.
• We have included catchment-based approaches and nature-based solutions in our management of water bodies through guidance for water utility companies.
• We will integrate nature-based solutions into the planning and development of new transport related infrastructure.
• We will promote guidance and best practice to local authorities and urban planners to better design urban tree planting and plant species which maximise benefits by reducing people’s exposure to air pollution.

Northern Ireland

• We will continue to encourage inclusion of blue and green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in all new infrastructure projects to increase green areas for human health and well-being and improve resilience to changes in climate.
• We will develop a Community Trail Network and Green and Blue Infrastructure Plan in all district council areas by 2028.
• We are taking action alongside many partners to implement the provisions in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which is a framework bringing together different sectors across the island of Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive.

UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

The British Virgin Islands

• By 2036, we will put in place mechanisms with the farmers and the private sector to restore traditional water sources.

Gibraltar

• We will increase the creation of green spaces, including vertical spaces such as vertical forests, living walls, new parks and city trees. 
• We will continue to increase tree planting in urban areas, improving surface water drainage and land management infrastructure and maintenance of sewage systems to a high standard.
• We will establish a legal mechanism for the inclusion of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and develop a BNG tool.

England

• Through The Path to Sustainable Farming: An Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024, we will pay farmers to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions (see also the Agricultural Transition Plan update, January 2024).
• We will publish principles of sustainable soil management by 2026. We will encourage farmers and land managers to sustainably manage and protect their soils, through agri-environment schemes.
• We will publish a methodology and guidance for consistent soil health monitoring by 2026, empowering farmers and land managers to establish baselines and implement sustainable soil management practices.
• We will legislate for a ban on the sale of peat and peat containing products when parliamentary time allows.
• We will publish the Peatland Restoration Register in 2026. The register will be a centralised geospatial record of restoration projects across England, allowing us to track progress and make it easier to identify peatland areas requiring restoration management.
• We will invest £85 million in improving and restoring our peatlands, supporting us in our long-term ambitions to unblock delivery for up to 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) savings by 2050.
• We will deliver up to 300,000 ha of wildlife-rich habitat creation and restoration by 2042 through agri-environment scheme agreements running since 2023. We will deliver up to 200,000 ha of peatland restoration and woodland creation.
• We will publish a Trees Action Plan in 2026 to set out how we will improve the resilience and condition of England’s trees, woods and forests.
• We will incentivise the planting of high-quality woodlands and trees outside of woodland with a further £816 million of funding between 2026 to 2027 and 2029 to 2030 financial years, including by continuing the England Woodland Creation Offer.
• We will improve the condition of ancient semi-natural woodland and restore plantations on ancient woodland sites back to semi-natural woodland habitat through our agri-environment schemes.
• We will publish Local Nature Recovery Strategies to cover the whole of England for use by public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver nature recovery and wider environmental commitments by the end of 2025 or shortly after. 
• We will consult on a set of national policies to support decisions including those relating to sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).
• We will invest a record £2.65 billion over two years, from April 2024 to March 2026 as part of the Plan for Change. In the first year, the target of 25,000 was exceeded with over 27,500 properties better protected from flooding.
• We will restore and repair existing high consequence defences by the end of March 2026, including those damaged in storms over recent and ongoing flood events.

Scotland

• Cleaner Air for Scotland 2: Towards a Better Place for Everyone replaces the ‘Cleaner Air for Scotland’ strategy and sets out the Scottish Government's air quality policy framework for the next five years and a series of actions to deliver further air quality improvements. The strategy focusses on addressing the health, environmental and social impacts of air pollution.
• Scotland’s Forestry Strategy 2019–2029 provides a 50-year vision for forestry in Scotland and three objectives to deliver over the next 10 years. These objectives include: to increase the contribution of forests and woodlands to Scotland’s sustainable and inclusive economic growth; and to increase the use of Scotland’s forest and woodland resources to enable more people to improve their health, well-being and life chances.
• The River Basin Management Plan for Scotland 2021–2027 outlines a comprehensive strategy and set of actions for the sustainable management and protection of Scotland's river basins and water bodies. Several objectives focus on ecosystem services including flood protection, provision of clean bathing waters and water supply.
• Nature-based solutions will play a key role in enhancing nature’s contribution to people and are important policy features of our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, Climate Change Plan update and Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. 
• Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital set out our ambitions and expectations for a values-led, high-integrity market for responsible private investment in natural capital to communities, investors, land owners, public bodies and other market stakeholders. Our upcoming Biodiversity Investment Plan will aim to deliver markets that deliver for local people in alignment with these policies.
• Scotland has developed Flood Risk Management Plans for every region of the country to reduce the impact of flooding on communities.

Wales

• The Welsh Government Programme for Government – Updatesets out the commitments that the Welsh Government will deliver between 2021 and 2026. These include embedding Wales’ response to the climate and nature emergency into everything the Welsh Government does.
• The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 outlines seven well-being goals to ensure that future generations have at least the same quality of life as we do now, including sustaining and improving the environment in which we live.
• The Natural Resources Policy focuses on improving the way Wales manages its natural resources, and how they coincide with the well-being goals Wales has set out. This policy outlines the way in which natural resources are managed to provide benefits to people now and in the future.
• The Sustainable Farming Scheme, which commenced 1 January 2026, aims to address the climate and nature emergencies whilst supporting farmers to produce safe, high-quality food through rewarding farmers for actions that align with the Sustainable Land Management Objectives, including to maintain and enhance the resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
• The Clean Air Plan for Wales supports the delivery of commitments under Prosperity for All: our national strategy. Specifically, it outlines plans to reduce emissions and deliver vital improvements in air quality to support “healthier communities and better environments”.
• Planning Policy Wales specifies that all authorities in Wales undertake a Green Infrastructure Assessment—an integrated map-based evidence resource to map existing green infrastructure and ecological assets which can be used to understand existing green infrastructure and develop a robust approach to enhancing biodiversity, increasing resilience and improving well-being.

Northern Ireland

• River Basin Management Plans Programme of Measures sets out a number of actions to reduce pollution and improve water quality.
• The Sustainable Agriculture Programme rewards farmers for actions that promote sustainability, and maintains and enhances the resilience of ecosystems and the benefits to society these provide.
• The Environmental Improvement Plan for Northern Ireland sets out a coherent and effective set of interventions that can collectively deliver real improvements in the quality of the environment and increase the benefits that society can enjoy from it. 
• The  Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 has a specific requirement to set biodiversity targets. Each carbon budget must be delivered through a set of policies and proposals contained within a Climate Action Plan (CAP), the first of which is currently under development. The Act mandates that the use of nature-based solutions in the CAP policies and proposals must be employed wherever practicable and the potential impact on biodiversity must also be considered when these are being developed.
• The  Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy to 2040 sets the direction of travel over the next two decades and beyond. It provides a framework to guide the conservation and restoration of peatland habitats in Northern Ireland to contribute to air and water quality and flood alleviation. 
• The Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme is a series of statutory plans that include the recently concluded second Climate Change Adaptation Programme (2019–2024) and the developing third Climate Change Adaptation Programme (2024–2029), mandated by the UK Climate Change Act to build resilience to climate impacts, focusing on areas such as natural capital, infrastructure, and food security.

UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies 

The British Virgin Islands

• Vision 2036: Building a Sustainable Virgin Islands sets out an overall vision to have a well-balanced, people-centred Virgin Islands built on spirituality, social justice and equality; nurtured by trust, cultural knowledge and participatory governance; and strengthened by economic, environmental and social sustainability.

The Falkland Islands

• The Falkland Islands Environment Strategy 2021–2040 sets out the Falkland Islands’ objectives for the next 20 years, so that we can work towards a shared vision for the future of our environment. This includes biosecurity controls and programmes that will take place.

Gibraltar

• The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out Gibraltar’s long-term strategy for protecting and enhancing its environment over the next quarter century. It provides a structured framework to guide policy, planning and environmental management.
• The Environment Protection (Trees) Act sets out a robust legal framework for the protection of trees.
• The Gibraltar Development Plan sets out planning policies that protect and enhance green areas in the urban environment.

The Isle of Man 

• The Isle of Man Agricultural Strategy 2024 includes policies to provide support for targeted initiatives that produce conserved and cherished landscapes, enhance biodiversity, sequester carbon, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and address the land management components of the Climate Change Action Plan.