The 25 YEP refresh series: setting our overarching asks

(c) Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

This is the first of a series of seven blog posts covering our asks for the marine, business, land management, protected sites and species, planning and climate change goals for the 25 Year Environment Plan. We are kicking off the series with a post written by Meera Inglis, Policy Officer for External Affairs, on why the upcoming refresh of the 25 YEP is so important for nature.  

The 25 Year Environmental Plan refresh, in January 2023, is the perfect moment for Liz Truss’ new government to define the positive policies that will put nature on a recovery trajectory. We are setting out the commitments that we hope to see in the refreshed plan. 

The 25YEP overarching promise was for “ours to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we found it” by working with both businesses and communities.   

At the RSPB we find it vital that the Westminster Government keep that promise by producing a refreshed plan which sets ambitious goals, tied to clear, coherent and measurable targets. It must also set out the steps – the policies and programmes – that can deliver on its goals and targets. There is greater urgency now that the Westminster Government has set itself a 2030 target to halt declines in species abundance. 

What is the 25 YEP and the upcoming refresh?  

The 25YEP was published in 2018 setting out 10 ‘goals’, which cover a broad range of policy areas; from waste management to clean air and water, through to thriving plants and wildlife. The plan is largely focused on England but also touches on the global environment.    

Every 5 years, the Westminster Government are required (by laws enacted through the Environment Act 2021) to produce a refreshed version of the 25YEP, in order to keep its policies up to date which will be happening this coming January (2023). 

Under the Act, the 25YEP becomes the first Environmental Improvement Plan, or EIP. These plans are important as foundations upon which more specific policies are then built. For example, one of the goals is “Using resources from nature more sustainably and efficiently”, from this general goal, more specific policies around issues such as peatland restoration and woodland creation can be drawn out. 

What do we want to see in the upcoming 25 YEP refresh? 

Because the 25YEP is so broad and there are a number of improvements we would like to see in the 2023 refresh, over the next seven weeks, we will be publishing a series of blogs, covering our asks for the marine, business, land management, protected sites and species, planning and climate change goals. However, there are several overarching issues that we want to ensure are covered: 

Funding: In order for the 25 YEP goals to be met, adequate funding needs to be provided and it must be secured for long enough to ensure the long-term viability of the various projects and policies.   

Application across the four countries: Much of the 25YEP applies only to England as many environmental issues are matters for devolved governments. Careful work needs to be done to ensure that policies across the four countries complement one another and do not lead to additional environmental damage.   

Integration into all relevant Westminster departments: Although the 25YEP is published by DEFRA, in order to be effective its policies should be integrated across Government departments which have a direct impact on the environment.  

A commitment to robust data: Progress on the 25YEP is measured, in part, against the Outcome Indicator Framework (OIF). While the OIF is a good blueprint for the data that should be collected and monitored over time, there are currently a significant number of gaps in the data that is actually available. Without proper data, we cannot adequately track the Government’s progress towards meeting its environmental goals and targets.  

A set of stretching interim targets: The refresh is also the moment when 5 yearly targets will be set for each of the long term legally binding targets that government is proposing under the Environment Act. The interim targets for 2028 must be bold and ambitious, setting us onto the right trajectory to meet long term targets in 2042.  We know that front ended action will be both cheaper and more effective in meeting the long-term target goals.  

Promising policies are emerging from the 25YEP; Biodiversity Net Gain, public money for public goods as the foundation of the new environmental land management schemes and the Nature Recovery Network are just a few of the ideas that have been prompted by the 25YEP. If properly implemented and well resourced, policies like these have a high potential for positive outcomes. Most importantly, the enshrining of the Environment Act into law, and the establishment of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), in 2021 were a significant step in the right direction. 

Five years ago, Martin Harper, our Conservation Director at the time, wrote several blogs on what we hoped the 25 Year Environment Plan would contain. Looking back at these blogs, we can see some positive progress; our desire to see an independent monitoring body to track the 25YEP’s progress came to fruition in the establishment of the OEP and the 25YEP’s ambition to leave the environment in a better state for future generation is a laudable sentiment.  

However, many of the things we were hoping to see spurred on by the 25YEP have either been slow to progress or have not produced any tangible results yet. For example, there has been a long wait for the promised Nature Strategy and the Nature Recovery Network remains an enticing concept with little concrete to see in terms of its delivery.  

The upcoming refresh is an opportunity for the new Westminster Government to strengthen the 25 YEP with robust policies and clear timeframes for their delivery. Otherwise we risk another five years of lacklustre progress, and this would make meeting the 2030 target to halt declines in species abundance an almost impossible challenge. 

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing more blogs to look deeper into some of the key asks that we at the RSPB have for the refresh of the 25YEP in January. In the meantime, you can find out more and read some of our previous blogs on this topic here.