Sizewell C joins Wild East to help rewild East of England
Sizewell C and Wild East has announced a new partnership that aims to increase rewilding and environmental protection across East Anglia.
The two organisations will work together to promote the returning of land to nature across the region – which will include empowering Sizewell C’s significant local supply chain to engage with environmental projects, as well as delivering conservation education in local schools.
Founded in 2021, Wild East’s goal is to return 20% of East Anglia to its natural state by inspiring and empowering organisations and individuals to pledge 20% of their own outside space to nature, creating a greener, healthier more resilient region. Organisations such as Natural England and the University of East Anglia have already pledged land for the project, and Wild East aim to help one million people support nature recovery by 2030.
Hugh Somerleyton, Founder and Trustee of Wild East, said: “This partnership, and the support from Sizewell C, leads the way in how big energy can be transformative in supporting nature recovery and the local environment. More pertinently, the general consensus is that if we are to make the transition to clean energy quickly enough to avert the worst of climate change, we cannot do without nuclear.
“Therefore, it’s crucially important we work together with companies like Sizewell C to improve our shared natural environment. Together, we hope to leave a significant environmental and rewilding legacy for this region, not only by creating new wild habitats, but by engaging the energy company’s supply chain and inspiring other energy companies to follow suit.
“We’re excited at what we can do together and how other firms can follow Sizewell’s example, because we need everyone to join us on this mission. We’re looking forward to welcoming many more partners in the future, as we will only succeed with their support.”
Sizewell C has previously pledged to return to nature a large part of the land it is using during the construction of the nuclear power station. Alongside its flagship 67-hectare Wild Aldhurst nature reserve in Leiston, which is already home to many of Suffolk’s rare plants and animals, the project has plans for wetland habitat creation at three additional nature reserves: Benhall, Halesworth (both East Suffolk), and Pakenham (West Suffolk). Work at Benhall began in Summer 2023, with Halesworth and Pakenham set for later in 2024 and 2026 respectively.
Julia Pyke, Joint Managing Director of Sizewell C, said: “Sizewell C will be built in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that’s rich in wildlife, and we fully understand our responsibility to look after nature before, during, and after construction. But we don’t just want to mitigate the environmental impacts of building Sizewell C, we want to create an environmental legacy here in East Suffolk.
“We’ve already spent ten years rewilding over 150 hectares of arable land within the Sizewell estate, and the three additional nature reserves we’ll create during the construction period will provide hundreds of acres of new habitats for wildlife and boost local biodiversity by 19%.
“By partnering with Wild East, we can make our habitat creation part of a much bigger project in the region and can empower our significant local supply chain to take part too. It’s a great opportunity to pull together businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes to make East Anglia a key corridor for nature.”
By engaging with Sizewell C’s supply chain, Wild East can help local businesses to understand what actions they can take to increase biodiversity and help nature recovery, whether that’s through making a pledge for land they own, taking action through their workforce, funding environmental initiatives, or using employee time to volunteer to support nature projects.
Under its planning obligations, Sizewell C has already allocated a “Natural Environment Improvement Fund” of more than £12m for landscape mitigation and ecological enhancement in and around East Suffolk. It is also committed to set up a new environmental charity to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the natural environment in the area, and to provide £78m long term funding to the charity that will drive transformative change in Suffolk.
