UK Government has narrowing window to hit legal environmental commitments, warns OEP
AIC's Head of Sustainability Vicky Robinson analyses the latest Office for Environmental Protection report on progress made towards targets set in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.
Almost a year to the day I wrote about an update from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) following the publication of their progress report on the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.
A year on, another progress report has been published by the OEP and I could simply change the date at the top of my previous analysis.
Progress on meeting the targets set within the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan has slowed over the last year. That's despite conclusions from last year's report stating the need to rapidly speed and scale up the delivery of policies and the resources to implement them.
Off-track
Spanning March 2023 to April 2024 with three more targets assessed than the previous year, the report concluded that of the 43, nine were largely on track, 12 were partially on track and 20 were largely off track.
Hope is being put in the conclusions of the rapid review announced by the Government last summer following the General Election.
But when asked a question at this month's Oxford Farming Conference on meeting the targets, the Defra Secretary Steve Reed MP cited the lack of individual plans on meeting individual targets as an issue.
However, he was not able to provide any clarity on the how and what until after the Comprehensive Spending Review.
It should be noted that a number of the legally binding targets in the Plan fall within the current administration's tenure. So, we will keenly await the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review and its impact on Government plans to meet these targets.
Notable recommendations
Eight key recommendations from the report of particular note:
- Get nature-friendly farming right with greater government engagement with farmers and landowners being key to improving the environment at scale:
- The increased uptake in the Environmental Land Management schemes shows promise but there is a requirement to increase the delivery of more environmentally ambitious options through Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery.
- Spatial prioritisation, advice and guidance were highlighted as areas that need to be improved alongside explaining how it interacts with wider factors affecting farmers such as trade deals, supply chains and food systems.
- Reducing water pollution will be limited without changes to land use, the current schemes and regulatory approach combined with greater collaboration between delivery partners.
- Action beyond agri-environment schemes (which are voluntary) is required to reduce agricultural diffuse pollution.
- The recommendations in the Nutrient Management Expert Group report of the Nutrient Management Expert Group: Improving policy and practice for agricultural nutrient use and management were supported.
- Set out clear mechanisms for reconciling competing demands for use of land and sea by progressing Local Nature Recovery Strategies, a Land Use Framework and put in place detailed catchment and marine spatial plans with appropriate resources:
- The Land Use Framework was also linked to the revised Food Strategy to ensure a collaborative food system approach to policy interventions.
- Develop a circular economy framework by updating the Resources and Waste Strategy and accelerating a new UK policy and regulatory framework for chemicals.
- Mobilise investment at the scale needed by providing strong incentives, oversight and regulation to attract private investment and support local authorities to build and maintain the capacity needed to mobilise investment:
- Sectoral pathways should be published that outline the scale needed to become nature positive plus a process for tracking investment.
- The Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) polluter pays principle should be used to generate resources for public investment.
- Regulate more effectively by providing sufficient resources, building capacity, improving engagement with businesses and the public as well as coordination between relevant authorities:
- Defra’s review of current regulation and regulators was noted Dan Corry was appointed to lead the Defra regulation review and the need to ensure the regulatory landscape was both coherent and efficient.
- Harness the support needed to achieve ambitions by showing leadership at the highest level across government departments and directly linking the Environmental Principles Policy Statement to statutory targets and delivery plans, as well as the revised EIP being more transparent and better communicated
The report was summarised as cautionary and positive while laden with caveats by Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP: "The trajectory can be changed. There are some areas where things are starting to head in the right direction, showing that with the right actions, it can be done. But more must be done and done at pace."
Author
Vicky Robinson
Vicky Robinson is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading and co-ordinating AIC's work on sustainability.
