A report from the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee said that an “urgent step change” is needed if the target is going to be delivered on time.

It found that only around 6.5 per cent of natural habitats in England are effectively protected. An additional three million hectares (23.5 per cent) will need to be given protected status in order to achieve the ‘30 by 30’ target. This equates to an area roughly one and a half times the size of Wales.

The report said that improving nature in England would bring a host of benefits, including improvements to public health and wellbeing as well as tackling climate change. Protected areas in England will also play an important role in restoring nature and meeting internationally agreed biodiversity targets.

It concluded that it is not clear how the government plans to achieve ‘30 by 30’, and that a major step change in its approach to protected areas is required to deliver the commitment it...