United Kingdom announces £79 million nature-based climate plan

The UK government has unveiled a £79 million initiative aimed at using nature to combat extreme weather events. Announced by Environment Minister Angela Eagle, the plan allocates £53 million toward planting 500,000 trees over the next three years to mitigate heatwaves, flooding, and droughts.

The remaining £26 million will support local strategies for restoring wetlands, meadows, and riverbanks. These nature-based solutions are intended to increase the resilience of both urban and rural areas by using tree canopies for shade and root systems to manage water runoff.

In a related demonstration of environmental restoration, the Halnaker Hill Farm project in West Sussex has shown rapid biodiversity recovery. After transitioning from intensive wheat farming to a mosaic of wildflower meadows, hedges, and ponds, the 133-hectare site recorded 5,290 butterflies across 28 species within just two years of the transition.