THE conservationist Chris Packham and the businesswoman and Dragons’ Den investor Deborah Meaden joined a fringe event to the meeting of the General Synod last week, adding their voices to growing pressure on the Church Commissioners to commit to protecting nature on 30 per cent of their estate by 2030.
At the heart of the campaign is a private member’s motion brought by Canon Val Plumb, who is the Area Dean for Rural Mission and Development in Buckingham Archdeaconry, in Oxford diocese. The motion calls on the Commissioners — who manage more than 100,000 acres of rural land and a portfolio worth £11.1 billion — to protect nature “in line with the scale and urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises”. Currently, only 3600 acres, some 3.5 per cent of their rural estate, is protected for nature; the remainder is used largely for commercial farming.
Canon Plumb said: “If they can commit to protecting 30 per cent of their land by 2030, the Commissioners can resurrect nature and restore hope in our future. As Christians, we are collectively called to steward creation, and, at this time of crisis, we cannot expect others to act but not do more ourselves.”
Ms Meaden made the business case for action, noting that the Commissioners generated a cash profit of £663 million last year. “Meeting 30 by 30 would cost a fraction of that, and have a huge impact on nature,” she said. “The business case for protecting nature is not only clear, it is vital to secure the Church’s long-term survival.”
Mr Packham pointed to the scale of the opportunity: “The Church has the land and money to take action, the profile to influence others to follow suit, and the UK public and church community calling on them to do right by nature.”
If the motion receives more than 100 signatures from Synod members, it can be tabled for debate and a vote at a future General Synod. The motion builds on a Land and Nature Motion passed in 2024, and aligns with the UN global 30 × 30 target, of which the UK Government is a signatory. Britain currently ranks in the bottom ten per cent of nations for biodiversity.
The campaign has the backing of more than 130,000 members of the public, alongside theologians, scientists, conservationists, politicians, and broadcasters. An open letter, signed by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams, has been sent to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, urging her to lead the Church in making the commitment.
