Bolstering Involvement of Private Industry in Natural Restoration
In an effort to secure economic benefits and foster business innovation in environmental protection and improvement, the UK government has launched a call for evidence. This initiative, scheduled to accept written submissions until 11:59pm on 7 August 2025, aims to gather insights on how to encourage businesses in England to invest in nature recovery.
The call for evidence places significant emphasis on the role of the environment in the government's economic growth mission. It considers flood management as an area where business investment can contribute to nature recovery, and access to nature as another focus. The economic case for business investment in the natural environment is being considered in the first section of the call for evidence.
The call for evidence also highlights the role of nature-based carbon reductions in encouraging business investment in the natural environment. It expands its scope to include global nature in the context of business investment, seeking views from businesses, investors, nature service providers, environmental organizations, and the public. Submissions supported by evidence will be especially valued in the call for evidence process.
The second section of the call for evidence seeks views on increasing investment in specific environmental outcomes. It intends to identify and manage any risks for businesses, communities, or consumers arising from increased business investment in the natural environment. The focus is on sectors that have a significant impact on or depend on nature.
England's policy landscape for business investment in nature recovery includes a mix of capital grants, long-term collaborative habitat restoration schemes, and targeted agreements with land/asset managers. Key frameworks and initiatives include the £13 million Species Recovery Programme through Natural England, the Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and related environmental land management schemes, and grants and engagement funding from bodies such as the British Ecological Society and small-scale trusts.
These financial incentives aim to reverse biodiversity loss by supporting habitat and species recovery at different scales, encouraging business sectors such as farming, land management, conservation organizations, and ecological service providers to invest actively in nature recovery.
The call for evidence also discusses the importance of clean and plentiful water in business investment for nature recovery, and sustainable land use and food production are topics of interest. Responses to the call for evidence will support the development of policies to increase business investment in the natural environment. The goal is to use effective policy measures to increase business investment in protecting and improving the natural environment in England.
This call for evidence is not a decision-making process but a step in an ongoing conversation about increasing private sector investment in nature protection and improvement. It is a significant step towards a sustainable future, where business and nature can thrive together.
[1] Natural England. (2023). Species Recovery Programme. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/species-recovery-programme/species-recovery-programme
[2] Defra. (2023). Species Recovery Programme. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/species-recovery-programme/species-recovery-programme
[3] British Ecological Society. (2023). Small Grants Scheme. Retrieved from https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/grants/small-grants-scheme/
[4] Defra. (2023). Sustainable Farming Incentive. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sustainable-farming-incentive
[5] Defra. (2023). Landscape Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/landscape-recovery-scheme
a) The call for evidence investigates the economic potential of investing in environmental-science, particularly in the areas of flood management and access to nature, with the aim of encouraging businesses to invest in nature recovery.
b) The call for evidence invites views from various sectors, including finance and business, to consider the financial incentives offered by the UK government, such as capital grants and long-term collaborative habitat restoration schemes, to encourage business investment in the natural environment for a sustainable future.
