Government continues to “fall short” on crucial environmental targets

The independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has warned that Government efforts to improve the environment and protect the natural world are falling "far short" of what is needed.

The OEP says the country is facing a "deeply concerning” decline in biodiversity and following extensive research it found that a significant number of the government's 23 environmental targets were at significant risk of not being achieved.

The study assessed 32 environmental areas - from species numbers to air and water quality improvements - and found nine trends were improving, 11 were static, and eight were deteriorating. In four areas, there was not enough data to make a reliable assessment.

Reacting to the OEP’s assessment of the Government’s progress against its Environmental Improvement Plan, Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “The Office for Environmental Protection’s assessment of the Government’s progress to date on its ambitions for environmental improvement presents a concerning picture.

“Dame Glenys Stacey and her OEP team present an unflinching analysis of the current situation. This thorough assessment is surely what Parliament contemplated when establishing the new environmental watchdog having left the EU, and the OEP is to be commended for the quality and rigour of its work.

“It is deeply disappointing that progress against so many crucial targets is falling short of what is needed to secure nature recovery. We face a nature and climate emergency and the importance of restoring nature cannot be overestimated.

“Two years ago, the Committee’s report on biodiversity and ecosystems stressed the importance of engaging people with the natural world around them. It is encouraging that the OEP has identified improvements in this area. But these alone are not enough.

“In its refreshed Environmental Improvement Plan, due to be published shortly, the Government has the opportunity to set clear and ambitious – but achievable – targets to address the worrying decline of nature. I look forward to being able to quiz Ministers on how they intend to deliver on their assurances that they will be leaving the environment in a better state than that in which they found it.”