UK Government Launches Fungal Conservation Strategy Following Historic International Pledge
- Gauri Khanna
- 42 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Too long to read? Go for the highlights below.
The UK and Chile co-launched a groundbreaking Fungal Conservation Pledge at the 2024 UN biodiversity conference, recognising fungi as essential to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss
Only four fungal species are currently protected under UK law despite over 15,000 recorded species, and just 16 protected sites designate fungi as a conservation feature
The Fungi Foundation calls for explicit legal recognition of fungi, protection of key fungal sites, and improved soil management practices to preserve underground fungal networks
The United Kingdom has taken a significant step in biodiversity conservation by co-launching the world's first Fungal Conservation Pledge with Chile at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity conference in Cali, Colombia in 2024. This marks the first time fungi, neither plant nor animal, have received dedicated international policy attention at this level. Yet converting this diplomatic leadership into effective domestic protections remains a considerable challenge.
According to a new policy briefing from the Fungi Foundation, the UK's current legal framework falls short of the ambition expressed internationally. Despite hosting over 15,000 recorded fungal species, only four receive protection under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In December 2025, the government rejected recommendations to extend protections to approximately 20 additional endangered species, including the Critically Endangered Pepper Pot fungus.
The Economic and Ecological Case for Fungal Protection
Fungi perform functions essential to Britain's ecosystems and economy. Mycorrhizal fungi (organisms that form partnerships with plant roots) supply crucial nutrients to most plant species and help them withstand drought and disease. These underground networks move approximately 59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per square kilometre per year into UK soils, roughly 36% of current annual fossil fuel emissions globally. This makes fungal networks vital infrastructure for carbon sequestration.
The economic costs of ignoring soil health are substantial. Soil degradation from intensive agriculture costs the UK approximately £1.2 billion annually through compaction and loss of organic matter, whilst degraded soils contribute around £233 million yearly to flooding damage. Protecting the fungal communities that maintain soil structure represents a practical investment in natural capital.
Legislative Gaps and Protected Site Deficits
The briefing highlights that current UK legislation does not recognise fungi as a distinct kingdom of life. The Environment Act 2021 refers only to "flora and fauna" across its 279 pages, omitting what conservationists call the third F-funga. This linguistic absence translates into material consequences: fewer than 0.5% of England's Sites of Special Scientific Interest include fungi as designated features, and among those 16 sites, only five are recorded in favourable condition.
The reference document for identifying important fungal areas in Britain is now 25 years out of date, failing to reflect two decades of habitat change, climate impacts, and development pressures. Natural England's Species Recovery Programme has allocated less than 1.5% of its budget to fungi projects since 2006, despite fungi's documented importance to ecosystem function.
Policy Recommendations and International Context
The Fungi Foundation proposes three core actions: embedding explicit references to fungi in domestic legislation, ensuring all protected fungal sites reach favourable condition by 2030, and reforming agricultural schemes to promote soil health through practices that protect underground fungal communities.
These recommendations align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets on reducing threats to biodiversity, sustainable use, and implementation tools. However, only 13 countries have signed the Fungal Conservation Pledge since its launch. Whether the UK translates its international leadership into substantive domestic reform will likely influence broader global momentum on fungal conservation: a kingdom of life whose protection increasingly appears inseparable from addressing climate stability and food security.
