An environmental trust and a large insurance company have partnered in a landmark project to restore saltmarshes across the UK, aiming to leverage the natural climate-fighting capacities of these wetlands.

Aviva has committed to a £21 million funding for this Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust-led (WWT) project as part of the insurer’s larger £100 mln investment pledge towards nature-based solutions by 2030.

The new funding makes the partnership one of the largest saltmarsh restoration endeavours in the UK.

Saltmarshes are coastal habitats that have been historically in decline and possess a significant capability to counter the effects of climate change.

They accumulate carbon some 40 times faster than forests, act as natural flood defences, support diverse wildlife populations, and help enhance water quality.

The funding will allow WWT to expand their efforts in restoring and managing these critical habitats at a landscape-scale.

It will also support research into maximising the benefits of saltmarsh restoration and foster further investment in saltmarsh creation across the UK.

“This transformative partnership with Aviva aims to unlock the superpowers of wetlands to help combat climate change and catastrophic biodiversity loss,” said Sarah Fowler, chief executive of WWT.

“With the climate and nature crises showing no sign of slowing, there has never been a more crucial time for this partnership.”

The initiative will span 17 years, during which best practice guidelines and on-the-ground analysis will be developed, building upon the work already carried out at WWT Steart Marshes in Somerset.

In addition to this large-scale restoration project, WWT is also campaigning for an additional 100,000 hectares of wetlands in the UK.

The organisation is encouraging public participation through the ‘Wetlands Can’ pledge to further this initiative.

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