Bringing nature into the limelight – why its recovery matters to all of us

Anna Swaithes, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Caroline Price, Head of Nature & Environment, discuss the publication of The Crown Estate’s Marine guiding nature principles and why we need to bring nature to the forefront of decision making. 

Let’s be honest – nature is too often simply a nice backdrop within our daily lives. A glance at a distant tree line from a busy train, a bustling river we cross on our way into town, a walk along the beach to clear our heads after a stressful day. Many of us appreciate nature but how often do we stop to understand nature – to recognise it is the foundation of everything we have? From the food on our plates to the air we breathe, from the coastlines that protect our homes to the healthy ecosystems that keep our society, economy and wellbeing ticking along.  

Despite this, nature is in a desperate condition right across the country. Years of complacency and underinvestment have left us with habitats and species really struggling to survive.  

At The Crown Estate, we understand nature is fundamental to the UK’s economy, so in our Marine business we treat it as a sector in its own right alongside energy, transport and infrastructure. Our ambition is to bring nature from background to foreground, giving it the prominence it deserves. Real change is needed across the UK and our approach really is a fundamental change to how we operate. This year, we’ll be launching our Marine Delivery Routemap – a new digital platform built with input from stakeholders across the marine environment. This tool will help provide a clear picture of what’s happening on our seabed, helping us plan strategically and collaboratively for the future, and ensure nature’s interests are presented equally alongside other vital sectors. It’s about making sure that, by optimising the limited space we have to support national goals, we’re supporting the resilience of the natural environment that sustains us all.  

Last year we shared our Nature Recovery Ambition which included a commitment to embed nature as a priority in our Routemap. Since then, we’ve made critical progress on this and have now published the guiding nature principles that will shape the decisions we make within our Marine business.  

By publishing these principles, we want to share more widely how we are going to deliver against this commitment and set out what people can expect from us in the years to come. 

We have always carefully considered the natural environment in our work, which you can read more about on this page, however adopting these principles signals a new approach that doesn’t see nature as something just to mitigate as other demands are prioritised – but that sees nature as a priority in its own right. This approach will build evidence, elevate nature in the spatial and design processes and consider the whole ecosystem, not just specific projects or certain areas.    

Our Guiding Nature Principles are: 

• Protecting vulnerable habitats and species 

• Unlocking space for nature to thrive 

• Delivering positive outcomes for nature in everything we do 

• Promoting sustainable investment in nature 

These principles will shape everything we do and we’ll keep sharing our progress, seeking input on whether the actions we are taking are delivering tangible impact. We know the demands on our seas are only going to increase – new clean energy infrastructure, mineral and resource extraction for construction, and supporting our adaptation to climate change. That’s why we’re making nature central to our marine operations. We want to ensure we are not only working to arrest biodiversity decline but also actively creating positive outcomes for nature and people. 

We’re committed to new ideas, investing in skills and creating good jobs, ensuring the marine environment is a real driver of national economic growth. Collaboration is key – none of this works without our partners, customers and everyone who cares about the natural environment. We’re already making progress, but we know there’s more to do. We’re open and eager to work together and look forward to stepping into this journey with you. 

More detail is available in our latest publication, which can be found here: Unlocking a Resilient Blue Future: Delivering for Nature alongside a thriving Marine Economy