Government plan for environment evokes mixed response

NFU and FIDRA call for more clarity, while The Wildlife Trusts say the “dangerous scapegoating of nature must stop” in face of Starmer’s “anti-nature” regulations

The government has announced its revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), setting out a five-year roadmap to tackle the nature and climate crisis, improve public health, and support sustainable growth. 

Under a new interim target, population exposure to PM2.5 — a harmful pollutant linked to asthma, lung disease, and heart conditions — will be cut by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels), aimed at improved air quality and reducing pressure on the NHS.

The Plan also states that a quarter of a million hectares of wildlife-rich habitats will be created or restored by 2030 — 110,000 hectares of habitat more than had been previously committed.

There will also be a new target to reduce the rate of establishment of invasive non-native species compared to 25 years ago, aimed at protecting native wildlife and farmers’ livelihoods. This is designed to help prevent new invasive species from becoming established, and manage existing invaders such as Japanese Knotweed. 

Emma Reynolds, Environment Secretary said the Plan’s targets are backed by “real action” to cut harmful air pollutants, revive habitats and protect the environment, including: 

• £500 million for Landscape Recovery projects, bringing together farmers and land managers to restore nature at scale, creating wildlife-rich environments, reducing flood risk and improving water quality while creating green jobs and supporting rural prosperity
• £85 million to improve and restore peatlands to reduce flooding in communities, improve water quality and support public health through cleaner air and enhanced access to green spaces
• 'First-ever' plan to reduce risks from ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) to health and the environment, with a review of sewage sludge spreading rules to ensure sustainable practices  
• New Trees Action Plan and measures to reduce damaging methane emissions, particularly from agriculture, alongside exploring new domestic combustion measures to drive climate progress  
• Environment Act target delivery plans published for the first time, providing clear progress tracking and fixing the lack of rigour in the previous plan  

The government will now work with individuals, communities, farmers, businesses and local authorities to deliver the plan.

Philip Duffy, Chief Executive, Environment Agency said it has worked closely with Defra to make the Plan “more streamlined and delivery-focused”.

He added, “We are responsible for 50 of the over 300 actions, many focused on water quality. We’re ensuring water companies comply with permits and reduce storm overflow pollution, whilst supporting farmers through more inspections to give them better advice. We’ll also help restore England’s rare chalk streams and continue our work to tackle PFAS pollution.” 

The Plan was broadly welcomed by The Forestry Commission and Natural England, who said it brought “a welcome clarity to what everybody needs to do for nature recovery”, but Joan Edwards OBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said the organisation was “underwhelmed”. 

“...[the importance of nature] must be recognised, with urgent strengthening of the plan’s detail and immediate implementation.” 

Edwards was particularly unhappy with Keir Starmer’s “anti-nature measures” — which include the weakening or effective removal of the Habitats Regulations, which offer legal protections for the UK's most significant wildlife sites and threatened species — announced on the same day. “In doing so, the PM undermined his government’s promise to restore nature and address worsening pollution within the new EIP.” 

She added that if the EIP is to succeed in enabling the government to reach its legally binding Environment Act targets and international commitments made under the Global Biodiversity Framework “this dangerous scapegoating of nature must stop. Instead, the importance of nature to our economy, health and wellbeing must be recognised, with urgent strengthening of the plan’s detail and then its immediate implementation.” 

Environmental charity, FIDRA broadly welcomed the Plan but also called for more details, including around action on PFA’s, stating that ‘To provide effective solutions, the government must commit to meaningful reductions in PFAS emissions by restricting all non-essential uses and transitioning the UK towards sustainable alternatives.’

The NFU believes the Plan leaves unanswered questions around how its ambitions align with food production. Tom Bradshaw, President, NFU said: “The clear direction from Defra is that they need farmers to deliver for the environment and farmers stand ready to do just that. What farmers need from Defra in return is similar clarity on the importance of domestic food production and a policy framework that supports that.”