Embedding rewilding in policy: perspectives on overcoming barriers and unlocking opportunities

1. Rewilding initiatives are increasing in number across Europe and the UK in response to a growing awareness of substantial nature depletion, despite a lack of policy, guidance and legislation.

2. Ongoing transformations of UK environmental policies offer a ‘policy window’ in which rewilding could become established as a key strategy for nature recovery.

3. Here, we present the results of discussion sessions held as part of a British Ecological Society Policy Training workshop. A total of 46 participants, academics, practitioners and young people interested in rewilding attended. Our discussion focused on three pre-determined thematic discussion sessions: (1) barriers to rewilding and trade-offs; (2) species reintroductions; (3) facilitating rewilding in policy. Using thematic analysis, four emerging cross-cutting themes were identified from our workshop discussions: (a) environmental stewardship & public engagement, (b) cross-policy approaches, (c) incentivising rewilding and (d) an evidence base for rewilding.

4. Policy Implications. Given the UK's considerable biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystem processes and function on a large scale is increasingly urgent, and operationalising rewilding through supportive environmental policy structures should be a key priority for government.