For many, this will be a five day working week for well, it seems like months! School holidays, Easter, Royal Weddings and May Bank Holidays mean that some of us have forgotten what it is like to put in a full week's work.
But a season of big Westminster political announcements on the environment should keep us on our toes:
- the fourth carbon budget must be set by 30 June 2011. This will set the cap on UK greenhouse gas emissions for the period 2023-2027.
- the UK National Ecosystem Assessment should be published in early June. It will outline the state of our natural environment and demonstrate the contribution it makes to our well-being.
-The Natural Environment White Paper - the first for 20 years - should appear soon after. It ought to outline the UK Government's ambition and plan for fulfilling the coalition agreement commitment to "protect wildlife and ... restore biodiversity"
- The England Biodiversity Strategy - apparently appearing two weeks after the NEWP - should provide more detail on how we will recover threatened species and habtiats.
Four big announcements and four big tests of this Government's green credentials. The RSPB has a lot to say on each, so watch this space.
Redkite - we do expect the NEWP to cover UKOTs and the UK's international responsibilities eg to tropical forests.
Gert - your words!! But over the next few days I'll be offering some tests to see whether the publications live up to their billing.