Working with nature across the government estate

Restoring nature across the government estate – and beyond 

During London Climate Action Week, Defra published the Government Estate Nature Plan (GENP), the first plan of its kind globally, setting out how nature will be restored across government-owned land in England. 

In this blog, Susie Goddard, Defra's Head of Cross Government Nature Strategy , explains how the Government Estate Nature Plan will help restore nature across government-owned land in England, and how this work connects to wider action through the National Estate for Nature.

As the largest landowner in England, the government has both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead by example. The land it manages underpins essential public services, from defence and transport to energy, housing and food production. How it is managed has direct implications for biodiversity, resilience and the wider economy. 

The Government Estate Nature Plan brings this together into a single, coordinated approach, maximising opportunities for nature recovery while continuing to deliver the services people rely on every day.

The importance of a whole-estate approach  

Nature loss and environmental pressures, including flooding, wildfire and water scarcity, are already affecting the government estate and the services it supports. From flooding of prison facilities to disruption of military training due to moorland wildfires. 

Healthy ecosystems can help address these challenges, reducing flood risk, improving water quality and storing carbon. Whilst government departments are already taking action for nature recovery on their estates, working within departmental boundaries has limited the scale of what can be achieved. 

The Government Estate Nature Plan marks a shift to a coordinated, whole-estate approach, enabling departments to work together, manage shared risks and deliver greater collective impact across more than 560,000 hectares of land. 

Delivery begins with practical action. An initial £4.1 million seed capital investment is supporting early delivery, including a series of ‘lighthouse’ projects on operational government land. These projects test how nature recovery can be delivered alongside essential services, while building the evidence needed to scale up. 

Connecting government action with the wider landscape 

While the Government Estate Nature Plan focuses on central government land, its impact depends on how it connects with action beyond it. 

The National Estate for Nature (NEN) brings together major public, private, institutional and third-sector landowners who collectively manage a significant proportion of England’s land, enabling coordinated action at landscape scale. 

NEN members have also published estate management plans, setting out how they will contribute to nature recovery. 

The GENP is the government’s contribution to this wider effort. Together, these plans create a more consistent and transparent picture of how major landowners are working to restore nature across England. They also provide a stronger basis for partnership working and to help engage further landowners and managers in such efforts.  

Leading by example 

The Government Estate Nature Plan sets out a phased, long-term approach, starting with early pilots and building towards a model that can be scaled across the entire estate. 

For the first time, the government is applying the principles of the Land Use Framework to its own land, managing it more strategically to deliver for nature alongside core public services. 

Delivery is shared across all central government departments, with Defra providing leadership and coordination. 

The Government Estate Nature Plan sets a clear direction for government land to play a leading role in restoring nature, strengthening resilience and supporting the UK’s commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030. 

By working alongside partners through the National Estate for Nature, the government is driving a more strategic, cross-sector approach, demonstrating how coordinated action across major landowners can deliver change at scale.