30x30 UK Launches with Goal to Channel £500 Million from Businesses into Nature Recovery

Image: (L-R) 30x30 UK co-founders Nicky O'Malley, Elliot Coad and Andreea Sapunaru | Credit: 30x30 UK

A bold new initiative called “30x30 UK” has just launched, with a clear mission: secure half a billion pounds a year from the private sector to help restore nature across Britain. This campaign brings together heavyweights from the business world and conservation space in a united push to meet the UK’s commitment to protect 30% of its land and sea for nature by the year 2030. It’s not just about lofty goals, it’s about practical action and real investment.

What’s the big idea?

At the heart of the 30x30 UK campaign is a funding target: £500 million in annual private investment. This isn’t government aid or philanthropy, it’s businesses stepping up to back nature recovery efforts across the country, from rewilding degraded landscapes to restoring marine habitats.

Why “30x30”?

The name reflects the UK’s pledge, aligned with global targets, to protect and restore 30% of its land and marine areas for nature by 2030. Right now, we’re nowhere near that mark—but campaigns like this aim to change the trajectory.

What’s in it for business?

Plenty. Research shows strong public support for companies that take nature seriously. By getting involved in 30x30, businesses not only contribute to a healthier planet, but they also earn trust and goodwill from increasingly eco-conscious consumers.

The campaign is designed to make it easy for companies to engage. One suggestion? Redirect a sliver of marketing budgets toward tangible environmental impact. A small shift in spending, a big shift in outcomes.

Who’s behind it?

This isn’t a fringe movement. Founders include senior figures from the RSPB, Ecologi, and Unilever, organisations with serious influence and experience in both nature and commerce. Their collective credibility is helping bring business leaders to the table.

Backed by policy

Importantly, the campaign has government support and dovetails with the UK's Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, which sets its target of raising £500 million in private nature financing annually by 2027.