Sizewell C and Wild East have joined forces with the aim of returning a fifth of East Anglia to its natural state.

The new nuclear power project is working with Wild East -  which was founded in 2021 with the aim of inspiring and empowering organisations and individuals to pledge 20% of their own outside space to nature.

The plan includes working with Sizewell C's local supply chain on environmental projects as well as delivering conservation education in local schools.

Organisations including Natural England and the University of East Anglia have already pledged land for the wilding project, and Wild East aims to help one million people support nature recovery by 2030.

Wild Aldhurst (Image: Sizewell C)

Wild East founder and trustee Hugh Somerleyton said the two organisations were "excited" at what they can do together.

Lord Somerleyton - who owns the Somerleyton Estate near Lowestoft - encouraged other firms to follow Sizewell C's example and work in partnership with Wild East.

“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.

Wild Aldhurst (Image: Sizewell C)

"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."

Sizewell C has already pledged to return to nature a large part of the land it is using during the construction of the nuclear power station.

As well as its flagship 67-hectare Wild Aldhurst nature reserve in Leiston, it plans to create wetland habitat at three other nature reserves at Benhall, Halesworth and Pakenham.

Work at Benhall began in summer 2023, with Halesworth and Pakenham set for later in 2024 and 2026 respectively.

Sizewell C joint managing director Julia Pyke said by working with Wild East they could make habitat creation a much bigger project in the region and inspire the local supply chain to take part as well.

"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,” she 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 10 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%.

Options include firms 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 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.