Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030

Campaigners criticise C of E for failing to show moral leadership as one of country’s biggest landowners The Church of England has voted against plans to restore 30% of its land for nature, with campaigners criticising its failure to show moral leadership. The C of E owns about 42,500 hectares (105,000 acres) of land, making it one of England’s biggest landowners. Currently just 3.5% of its land is used for nature restoration. The Rev Canon Val Plumb, an area dean in Oxford, introduced a private motion to the General Synod calling for it to rewild 30% of its land by 2030. The UK, along with more than 100 other countries, has made an international commitment to restore 30% of its land for nature by 2030, a target which is considered the minimum needed to halt and reverse the global decline in nature. Plumb’s motion was blocked on Tuesday, with the church’s national assembly instead passing a separate amendment that does not include any measurable rewilding targets. This amendment, which was put forward by the Right Rev Graham Usher, the lead bishop for the environment, lists six steps that will be taken as an alternative to committing to the “30by30” target. This includes “where app