Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the use of nature-based solutions to climate change.

Defra recognises the critical benefits nature-based solutions can provide for tackling climate change and averting its impacts – delivering multiple benefits for climate, biodiversity, and people. Nature’s recovery is one of the five top priorities for this Department.

We are taking active steps to achieve Net Zero and mitigate climate change by expanding nature-based solutions in England, driving forward our commitments to restore 280,000 hectares of peatland and increase tree canopy cover to 16.5% of land area, both by 2050. This Government remains firmly committed to the environmental land management (ELM) schemes that deliver these solutions and will continue supporting farmers and landowners in their low-carbon practices.

Defra has secured a farm support budget of £2.4 billion for the next financial year. This means we can maintain the momentum of our ELM schemes, which will rise to the highest funding levels ever by 2025/26. Through this investment, we’re helping to secure a healthy and resilient future for English farming and restore our natural landscapes for generations to come whilst continuing to support farmers and landowners in their low-carbon, nature friendly practices.