Today the Government has published a new Environmental Improvement Plan. This includes new interim environment targets, following approval of the long-term statutory targets. Alongside the Environmental Improvement Plan, a Significant Improvement Test has also been published. This is a commitment to review the suite of statutory environmental targets at least every 5 years and the Environmental Principles Policy Statement, which will guide Ministers in their legal duty to consider the commitment when making policy.
Click here for the new Environmental Improvement Plan 2023
Environmental Improvement Plan 2023
This government is committed to leaving the environment in a better state than we found it. This is no small task. Over the last decade, wildlife habitats the size of Dorset have been created or restored and marine protected areas across 35,000 square miles of English waters have been established. The Environment Act has been passed through which world leading, long-term targets to restore nature, clean up our waters and tackle pollution have been set.
Nature is a crucial part of our islands’ story and our shared future. We rely on our natural capital for a secure supply of food, for clean air, and for clean water, as well as for leisure and genuine joy. However, nature has been taken for granted for too long, used freely as a resource with little thought for the consequences.
Five years ago, the 25 Year Environment Plan set out the vision for a quarter-of-a century of action to help the natural world regain and retain good health, as control of important areas of environment policy returned to the UK post Brexit. This is a national endeavour: national government, local government, communities and families all have a key role to play. The Environmental Improvement Plan will support green jobs and green growth across the country and drive UK inward and outward investment, placing UK green finance opportunities and businesses at the forefront of a global sustainability transition.
It is also an international endeavour. The world has acted on tackling climate change but for too long, nature was treated as the Cinderella. The UK brought nature into the heart of action on climate change in Glasgow at Climate COP26 and this was reinforced by the Prime Minister at COP27.
We have already started the journey and we have seen improvements. Our transformation on support for farmers and landowners to prioritise improving the environment, reducing carbon emissions and enabling sustainable food production is absolutely symbiotic and truly world-leading. We are stepping up on tree planting. We have cleaner air. We have cleaner bathing waters, because we have put a spotlight on water quality. We were central to agreeing a new global deal for nature at the UN Nature Summit COP15.
Now, we are building on the vision with this plan for delivery. It details a delivery plan for each of our goals, matched with stretching interim targets to measure progress towards long-term targets. There is much more to do, but taking these actions will help us restore nature, improve environmental quality, and increase the prosperity of our country.
Significant Improvement Test
A report has been published and laid before Parliament on the first Significant Improvement Test review. Under the Environment Act 2021, government committed to regularly reviewing its suite of statutory environmental targets to assess whether it has the necessary breadth and ambition. Following the first review, The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, as the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Regulatory Affairs (DEFRA) considers that the Significant Improvement Test has been met.
Environmental Principles Policy Statement
Improving our environment is the responsibility of all across Government and the Environment Act 2021 places a legal duty on Ministers of the Crown to have ‘due regard’ to the environmental principles policy statement when making policy. The policy statement sets out how the principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied.
The final policy statement and revised explanatory memorandum have been laid today in Parliament.
The legal duty will come into force on 1 November 2023 and it is the intention to implement the duty effectively and as soon as possible. This implementation period is important to enable policy makers to consider the final version of the policy statement during relevant policy development before the duty comes into force. DEFRA is working closely with other government departments to support them in this.