Huge campaign win as government sets hedgerow targets

Huge campaign win as government sets hedgerow targets - CPRE

We’re celebrating a big step forward for nature and climate as the government has finally announced an ambitious target to create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows a year by 2037, and 45,000-miles of hedgerows a year by 2050, under the new Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.

In a landmark decision for hedgerows, meeting the target will restore the UK’s hedgerow network. And it puts farmers at the heart of plans to reconnect and re-establish the country’s largest nature reserve.

Commenting on the government’s announcment, Tom Fyans, our interim chief executive, the countryside charity, said: ‘This new hedgerow target is an incredible step forward by the government and shows that the penny has finally dropped when it comes to the potential of hedgerows to tackle the climate and nature crises. We’ve been calling for a clear target to expand our hedgerow network for years nationally and locally and it’s fantastic that the government is now taking this forward.’

Making our case

CPRE has been campaigning for a target to restore hedgerows by 40% by 2050 for two years. The target was recommended by the independent Climate Change Committee and is equivalent to about 120,000 miles in Britain – half way to the moon! We need a 40% increase by 2050 at the latest. This requires adding over 4,000 miles of new and restored hedgerows per year, starting now.

Following the launch of our Hedge Fund report, CPRE put hedgerows at the heart of its campaigns. In December we launched the farming and hedgerow report that found more than 80% of farmers are keen to expand their hedgerows.

Communities at the heart of the campaign

Communities and the CPRE network have been key to the campaign’s success. CPRE local groups across England worked closely with local NGOs and farmers to raise awareness of hedgerows and the potential to ‘plant up’ and restore degraded hedges. Lobbying efforts also paid off, with 82 parliamentarians signing up as ‘Hedgerow Heroes’ – committing to champion the need for a hedgerow target in parliament.