Nature North responds to Defra’s call for evidence: Expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery. August 2025.

Nature North’s August 2025 response to Defra’s call for evidence outlines how expanding private sector investment is essential to achieving nature recovery at scale across Northern England. Drawing on its pan-regional collaboration of over 50 organisations, Nature North advocates for integrated planning, strategic authority involvement, and blended finance models to unlock investment in key propositions such as peatland restoration, urban greenspace, and river health.

The submission highlights barriers to investment—including short-term funding cycles, lack of expertise, and policy uncertainty—and calls for clearer governance, capacity-building, and alignment across sectors. It also emphasises the economic and public health value of nature, urging government to treat natural capital as critical infrastructure and support regional partnerships in delivering investable, landscape-scale solutions.

Download Nature North’s full submission to Defra’s August 2025 call for evidence: Expanding the private sector’s role in nature recovery.