Let’s unleash the potential of hedgerows to tackle climate and nature emergencies, says CPRE

Commenting on the announcement of Natural England’s Nature Recovery Networks, Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity, said:

‘Right now, more people than ever before are discovering and exploring the green spaces and countryside close to where they live.Our research has shown that more than two thirds of the public want to see these spaces better protected by the government.

‘We want to see theplanting and restoring ofhedgerows centre stage in the Nature Recovery Network. The government has put great emphasis on tree planting in recent years, which is welcome, but we want to see equal ambition in the shape of hedgerows. Not only are they great for wildlife, including hedgehogs, birds and insects, but they are an icon of the English countryside and are invaluable in tackling the climate emergency.

‘The Nature Recovery Network provides a golden opportunity to help increase hedgerow cover by at least 40%, which will go a long way to reaching our carbon reduction targets by no later than 2050.We look forward to working with Natural Englandto enhance our precious landscapes benefiting nature, the climate and people.’