The Natural Environment White Paper is a bold and ambitious statement outlining the Government’s vision for the natural environment over the next 50 years, backed up with practical action to deliver that ambition.

Nature is sometimes taken for granted and undervalued. But people cannot flourish without the benefits and services our natural environment provides. A healthy, properly functioning natural environment is the foundation of sustained economic growth, prospering communities and personal wellbeing.

You can read the:

• White Paper
• Press release
• updates on progress on implementation: April 2012 (PDF), January 2012 (PDF) and October 2011 (PDF)

Alongside the White Paper, the Government has published its response to the Lawton Review. The Review, Making Space for Nature, found that nature in England is highly fragmented and unable to respond effectively to new pressures, such as climate and population change. The Government’s response reflects evidence in the National Ecosystem Assessment, and builds on outcomes of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya in October 2010.

Latest news

• 2 April 2012 - Richard Benyon has opened applications to become a Government-recognised Local Nature Partnership
• 27 February 2012 – 12 Nature Improvement Areas announced
• 23 November 2011 – Ecosystem Markets Task Force launched

What does the White Paper mean for you?

You can find out what the White Paper means for

• citizens (PDF),
• local authorities (PDF),
• businesses (PDF),
• environmental organisations (PDF),
• farmers and landowners (PDF) and
• schools (PDF).

White Paper themes

Protecting and improving our natural environment

We will work to improve the quality of our natural environment and will aim to halt the decline in habitats and species, degradation of landscapes and erosion of natural capital. We will achieve this through more joined-up action at local and national level to create an ecological network resilient to changing pressures.

Case studies:

• Environmentally sensitive farming (PDF),
• Sustainable woodland management (PDF),
• Protecting fish stocks (PDF)

Growing a green economy

Protected natural areas can yield returns many times higher than the cost of their protection. There are multi-million pound opportunities available from greener goods and services, and from markets protecting nature’s services. We will create a green economy, in which economic growth and the health of our natural resources sustain each other, and markets, business and Government better reflect the value of nature.

Case studies:

• Greening retail (PDF),
• Greening industry (PDF)

Reconnecting people and nature

We recognise the huge benefits that we all get through contact with nature and how it helps our well-being through its positive impact on mental and physical health, improves education,  encourages social activity and reduces crime. In return, voluntary activity can enrich the natural environment, as can well-informed choices  by shoppers, householders and gardeners We will work to reconnect people with our fantastic natural environment and ensure fairer access..

Case studies:

• Schools connecting with nature (PDF),
• Sustainable tourism (PDF),
• Volunteering (PDF)
• Video on volunteering

International and EU leadership

We will show environmental leadership internationally and within the EU, to protect and enhance natural assets globally, promoting environmentally and socially sustainable growth. We will advance internationally the approach and principles set out in this white paper.

New Initiatives in the White Paper

Find out more about some new initiatives announced in the White Paper:

• Local Nature Partnerships – strategic partnerships of organisations that work to create a shared vision for their area and deliver better, more integrated, environmental outcomes.
• Testing a new voluntary approach to biodiversity offsetting in a number of pilot areas
• Nature Improvement Areas
• Natural Capital Committee
• Ecosystem Markets Task Force

Working together

We all need to work together to deliver the ambitions in the White Paper.  Government, devolved administrations, the Government’s environmental bodies, businesses, land managers, civil society organisations, local government and communities and individual citizens can all play their part – find out more (PDF).

Local area trailblazers

Local area trailblazers are examples of local councils working in partnership with other organisations and across traditional boundaries to get the best possible natural environment outcomes for their local people and places.  Read a summary of local area trailblazers (PDF) and the local area trailblazers in more detail (PDF).

How your views helped us to shape the White Paper

A Big Society approach to the preparation of the White Paper allowed individuals and communities to contribute innovative ideas on how their local environment can be protected and enhanced.  You can read the discussion paper An invitation to shape the Nature of England, which we published in July 2010.

Key documents

• UK National Ecosystem Assessment
• Lawton Review, Making Space for nature
• Government’s response to the Lawton Review

Evidence

• England Biodiversity Group, Think Big report
• Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study (TEEB)
• Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives
• Natural capital: supporting evidence and analysis to the Natural Environment White Paper (PDF)

Impact assessments

• Natural Environment White Paper Overarching Impact Assessment (PDF)
• Biodiversity Offsetting Impact Assessment (PDF)
• Peat Impact Assessment (updated) (PDF)

Further information

For more information email: naturalenvironment@defra.gsi.gov.uk