Nature recovery at a local level is a key factor in helping government achieve its desired ‘win-win’ outcomes for the environment and economic growth, a report released today (Thursday, June 19, 2025) says.
Government has stated its commitment to nature’s recovery alongside delivering its ambitions for economic growth.
In its latest report, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) sets out that Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) form a crucial part of the picture in helping government strike the balance between its growth ambitions and its environmental commitments, as they drive delivery of nature recovery action and inform local decision-making.
LNRS set out local priorities for nature, by showing where important wildlife exists now and identify areas that have potential to become important for wildlife in the future. These areas can also bring wider environmental benefits such as flood risk management and improvements to the water environment. There are 48 authorities responsible for creating LNRS, which together will cover all of England.
Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP, said: “The need to balance nature recovery alongside economic growth is pressing and this pressure is felt, perhaps most acutely, at local and regional levels. LNRS have a pivotal part to play in driving much needed nature recovery at a local level. It means they can be a useful tool in helping government strike that balance of achieving its economic growth ambitions along with its environmental commitments.”
LNRS should also play an important role in underpinning delivery of government’s environmental commitments for nature’s recovery, including its legally-binding targets set under the Environment Act 2021 and the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).
However, the report finds that LNRS need to be developed and delivered at pace if they are to substantially contribute to government’s targets and goals.
Dame Glenys added: “LNRS have the ability to bring legal targets alive at a local level, setting out plans and actions that together add up to achieving environmental goals for the nation as a whole.”
Only four of the 48 LNRS have been published to date, with the original intention that they all be in place by March 2025.
The OEP report finds this delay is likely to affect LNRS’ ability to contribute to goals and targets for nature recovery, in particular government’s 2030 target to halt the decline in species abundance.
The chair added: “If implemented promptly and effectively, LNRS could and should make a material difference to government’s prospects of meeting nature recovery targets and goals.
“Much has been achieved in developing LNRS so far. These are not easy tasks. But with nature’s needs so pressing, it is deeply regrettable that only four of 48 LNRS have been published to date. Government needs to move to swift delivery of these strategies with effective governance and adequate resources in place to ensure their success.”
The OEP report recommends that for LNRS to play a full role in helping achieve targets all remaining strategies need to be published as soon as possible to enable their quick delivery.
The chair added: “These strategies if implemented properly and quickly offer an opportunity to drive local delivery for nature that will contribute to national nature recovery commitments, such as the 2042 species abundance target.
“They must not, once completed, sit unheeded and under-resourced on the shelves of public bodies.”
The Government now has three months to respond to the OEP report.
Read the report in by pressing the blue button at the side of this page.
