There is not just a climate emergency; but an ecological emergency too. And the evidence is clear that we must increase the speed with which we are bringing back nature in our land and seas if we are to prevent ecological breakdown.

And whilst we are reducing our carbon footprint on the journey to becoming carbon neutral, evidence shows that we must radically accelerate progress on this and other pressures if we are to avert climate and ecological breakdown. Nature must be at the core of our response – going beyond decarbonising our energy systems by growing nature to help us reduce the risks, draw down carbon and adapt.

Our Environmental Growth Strategy provides a long-term framework for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to not just conserve, but to grow nature. Environmental growth is about not just protecting but also enhancing nature – ensuring that there is more of it, and that it is bigger, better, more diverse and more joined up.

Co-produced by our Local Nature Partnership, the strategy is guided by the principle that we are interconnected with nature; and outlines steps to our target that by 30% of our land and seas are positively managed for nature by 2030. It retains the vision and core ambitions of our original 2015 strategy, and sharpens our focus with 10 pillars for action to help nature regenerate and to provide the natural foundations for a green recovery.

This strategy also sets out in further detail how partners will work together to help deliver Cornwall’s transition to sustainable food, land and seas, as part of the shared vision Gyllyn Warbarth: Together We Can, The Cornwall Plan 2020-50.

Where next?

Our immediate next steps are to develop a short-term Nature Recovery Strategy and linked investment programme to practically deliver on our long-term ambitions. These will define an action plan for the next five years on what, where and how we can best support nature to regenerate.

It will help shape new approaches to planning (on biodiversity net gain and our new planning proposals) and land management (for the new national scheme) amongst other things. It will also help ensure that we champion and support projects through our partners, local communities, and volunteer networks.

Together for nature

Environmental Growth will only be achieved with the active contributions of our strategic and delivery partners, and wider support of other organisations, central government, businesses, volunteer networks and local communities.

There are lots of exciting projects going on to support environmental growth; from Making Space for Nature, to the Seabird Recovery Project, Forest for Cornwall, Upstream Thinking, Tamar Grow Local, Tevi, Good Seafood Guide and many other partner and community projects. We'll continue to support and champion these, such as through the Cornwall Sustainability Awards.

Everyone can support the effort for environmental growth – including making changes to how you consume, travel and more. Got a project in mind? You can get funding from our Grow Nature Seed Fund and other funds for nature.

Measuring progress

We published our first Monitoring and Evaluation Framework report in 2020, detailing the status of 13 Key Performance Indicators. For more detailed information about the data behind each indicator, go to the technical report. These indicators will be reviewed for the refreshed Environmental Growth Strategy in 2021.