A new report published today (12 June) by the international environmental charities Zoological Society of London and the British Ecological Society shows how changes to our land use can benefit nature, climate and people.
Reorganising land use in the UK to secure a sustainable future that works for both people and nature will require coordinated action and systems level changes with profound ramifications for food, energy production and housing development. This is according to the new report: Prioritising Land Use in the Midst of a Climate and Nature Emergency, published today by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the British Ecological society (BES).
The report, which sets out both the benefits of a coordinated approach to land use and how this can be achieved at scale, is the result of discussions at the Land Use Summit held at ZSL, London, earlier this year.
The report calls for the next UK government to take the lead on land use and adopt an integrated approach across departments. The report also makes clear that with the finite land we have, we need to be smart and prioritise land use opportunities with multiple goals such as farming productively but in ways that maximise biodiversity and including nature-friendly spaces within new housing developments.
It is absolutely essential that nature is a key part of any land use policy.
We also need to underpin all of this with strong science and good data so that we understand what works and what doesn't and where we have gaps in our knowledge. This will require investments in efforts to monitor ecological, economic and social changes relating to land use, and using these to build reliable models that can be used to guide decision-making.
Professor Nathalie Pettorelli, lead author and researcher at ZSL's Institute of Zoology explained: "The land serves so many purposes for us, from defining, in part, our cultural identity to influencing our mental health and wellbeing through access to nature; from providing space for our homes to food for our tables; for its role in regulating air and water; and of course, for underpinning the livelihoods of many. But land is also a finite resource.
"With the upcoming UK general election, the incoming Government has the opportunity to reshape land use and introduce the transformational changes needed to meet our national and international commitments on both nature recovery and climate change mitigation and adaptation."
Professor Bridget Emmett, President of the British Ecological Society added: "In the face of the climate and nature crises it is absolutely essential that nature is a key part of any land use policy. Nature is not, and cannot be seen as, a 'nice to have', it is absolutely essential. Essential to our wellbeing and essential to the planet as a whole. At the same time, we must be vigilant of the risks of offshoring our ecological footprint elsewhere in the pursuit of a 'green and pleasant land'.
"To achieve the difficult balance of competing land use needs, an integrative approach must be taken with leadership from UK governments and collaboration between departments and devolved nations."
Land use recommendations
To achieve this national land use transition, the report sets out ten key messages aimed at scientists, civil society and policy makers.
To scientists
- Generate evidence and solutions in collaboration with those who are responsible for the land.
- Make multifunctionality of land measurable and applicable.
- Ensure that land is included as a system in research in order to effectively support decision making.
To civil society
- Help initiate a nuanced national conversation on land demands. To date these have been largely absent from political discourse.
- Engage with new thinking around fiscal policy that reflects the true value of nature in the economy.
- Bring nature into economic and social policies to ensure wildlife recovery is given the attention it requires.
To policy makers
- Address both supply and demand sides. While economic demand for the goods from land can grow unchecked, the ability to meet this demand sustainably cannot.
- Develop a whole government and integrated land use management approach that simultaneously delivers benefits to climate, nature and people.
- Build a land use forecasting infrastructure to allow innovation in the integration of economic, ecological and climatic models.
- Establish a national environmental observatory to underpin forecasting models with robust data.
With pressure on our limited land growing, combined with threats from climate change and a cost of living crisis, it's never been more vital to have a smart and coordinated approach to how we use our land.
Matthew Gould, CEO of ZSL and co-author of the report added: "We don't have enough land to do everything we want to do. So we need to get smarter - we need an integrated approach, underpinned by science, where we look in the round at what we need, from food to housing to energy to nature. The Land Use Summit we hosted at ZSL showed the enthusiasm to work together towards a joined up, sustainable approach."
