Sizewell C partners with Wild East to boost rewilding and environmental protection across region

Sizewell C has announced a new partnership with a nature organisation to increase rewilding and environmental protection across the region.

The nuclear power station has joined together with Wild East to promote the returning of land to nature which will include empowering Sizewell C’s local supply chain to engage with environmental projects.

Founded in 2021, Wild East’s goal is to return 20 per cent of East Anglia to its natural state by ‘inspiring and empowering’ organisations and individuals to pledge 20 per cent of their outside space to nature.

Part of the new partnership will also see Sizewell C engage with delivering conservation education in nearby schools.

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.

“It’s crucially important we work together with companies like Sizewell C to improve our shared natural environment.

“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.”

Mr Somerleyton added he believed nuclear power would aid the transition to clean energy, which if done quickly enough, could ‘avert the worst of climate change’.

Sizewell C has pledged to return a large part of the land it is using during the construction phase to nature.

The project has plans for create wetlands at three nature reserves in Benhall, Halesworth and Pakenham.

This is alongside its already created flagship Wild Aldhurst nature reserve, in Leiston.

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.

“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.”

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.

Under its planning obligations, Sizewell C has allocated a ‘Natural Environment Improvement Fund’ of more than £12 million for landscape mitigation and ecological enhancement in and around East Suffolk.