Today’s blog is written by Meera Inglis, Nature Policy Officer for RSPB England, on our concerns about the lack of progress towards meeting crucial environmental targets.
The Environment Act (2021) provides England with a set of legally binding environmental targets, including the target to halt the decline of species populations by 2030 and further targets on biodiversity, air pollution, water quality and waste reduction for 2042. However, in its annual assessment, the UK Government’s own environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has shown that current plans are not on track to meet these targets. With the General Election looming, whoever forms the next UK Government will need to significantly ramp up efforts to restore our natural world.
Over the past decade, we have seen some positive steps towards nature-friendly policy creation. In 2018, the UK Government published its 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP), followed in 2021 by the inauguration of the Environment Act. Then, in 2023, we had the publication of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) which was supposed to provide us with a delivery plan for achieving the environmental targets for England.
However, research has repeatedly shown that the UK Government have not taken the necessary actions to meet their own targets. In both their 2023 and 2024 reviews of the Government’s progress on improving the natural environment, the OEP have highlighted flaws in policy design and implementation. They point to a lack of urgency and inadequate resourcing in many key areas.
A major part of the problem lies in the EIP23 itself. It was supposed to provide a clear delivery plan – which should have contained detailed and coherent steps explaining, in scientific terms, how each target would be met and how required measures would be financed. It should also have had a clear timetable for delivery. Although the EIP23 was slightly better than the original 25YEP, it simply does not do enough and time is running out to protect nature, to avoid the very worst impacts of climate change and meet the first target of halting the decline of species abundance.
It has been six years since the 25YEP was published. With little sign of substantial progress during that period, and only another six years to go until the 2030 target deadline, it is vital that whoever forms the next UK Government acts swiftly and decisively to create more robust and coherent delivery plans.
This is why the RSPB supports Wildlife and Countryside Link (a coalition of nature and conservation organisations that we are a member of), in their efforts to investigate ways to ensure the legally binding targets are met on time. It is also why we will be joining the march to Restore Nature Now on June 22nd Because we need all political parties- committed to playing their part to ensure these vital targets are met. RSPB members come from across the political spectrum, united by their love of nature. We hope that whoever forms the new UK Government after the General Election will hear our collective voice and act fast for nature’s recovery.