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25 Year Environment Plan

The 25 Year Environment Plan, led by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, sets long-term environmental goals including pollution reduction, sustainable land use, and pesticide risk reduction by 2030. Current focus includes implementation of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (delayed six years) and PFAS pollution management with associated Environment Agency funding requirements.

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23 Apr 2026 | Committee report linked

The Government should accompany this with an assessment of the resources required for the Environment Agency to deliver their responsibilities outlined in the PFAS Plan and commit to providing the associated funding in its response. (Recommendation, Paragraph 85) Addressing pollution

The Government should accompany this with an assessment of the resources required for the Environment Agency to deliver their responsibilities outlined in the PFAS Plan and commit to providing the associated funding in its response. (Recommendation, Paragraph 85) Addressing pollution …

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7 Mar 2024 | Committee report linked

We support the work of the Voluntary Initiative in disseminating advice to farmers on implementing Integrated Pest Management strategies. However, there is scope to extend the scheme to incorporate a peer-to-peer advisory network to provide farmers with access to a range of advice for developing and implementing their own strategies. The Government should also support the development of new IPM technologies through research funding and other mechanisms. Once these technologies are demonstrate...

We support the work of the Voluntary Initiative in disseminating advice to farmers on implementing Integrated Pest Management strategies. However, there is scope to extend the scheme to incorporate a peer-to-peer advisory network to provide farmers with access to a …

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7 Mar 2024 | Committee report linked

The UK has made international commitments to reducing the overall risk caused by pesticides by at least half by 2030. Whilst we acknowledge that updating the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use, the UK implementation plan to achieve these commitments, is a substantial task for the Government, this does not excuse the six-year delay in the publication of this crucial policy.

The UK has made international commitments to reducing the overall risk caused by pesticides by at least half by 2030. Whilst we acknowledge that updating the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use, the UK implementation plan to achieve these …

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7 Mar 2024 | Committee report linked

We echo the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee’s recommendation that the Government should publish the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use no later than May 2024.

We echo the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee’s recommendation that the Government should publish the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use no later than May 2024. Type: recommendation | Number: 28 | Paragraph: 174 | Response status: …

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7 Mar 2024 | Committee report linked

The updated National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Usage should include targets for reducing pesticide use in urban and suburban areas and to improve best practice for use by amateurs. The Government should work with stakeholders such as the Royal Horticultural Society, to stimulate the phasing down of pesticide use in the domestic horticultural sector. (Paragraph 185) Insect decline and UK food security 51

The updated National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Usage should include targets for reducing pesticide use in urban and suburban areas and to improve best practice for use by amateurs. The Government should work with stakeholders such as the Royal …

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7 Nov 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend the 2042 target for the elimination of plastic waste should be reaffirmed by the new Government but, crucially, without the qualifier “avoidable”. The goal would be clearly defined as ensuring that all plastic waste is recycled, reused or composted by 2042. The new Government should also set out two-year milestones to drive progress towards this target.

We recommend the 2042 target for the elimination of plastic waste should be reaffirmed by the new Government but, crucially, without the qualifier “avoidable”. The goal would be clearly defined as ensuring that all plastic waste is recycled, reused or …

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10 Dec 2021 | Committee report linked

There is no clear plan to replace or modernise legacy systems and data that are critical to service provision but are often old, unsupportable, vulnerable and a constraint on transformation. Legacy systems, some of which date back to the 1970s, are widespread across government, which relies on them for important services such as managing the UK’s borders and paying the State Pension. Many of these systems are stable and performing acceptably at reasonable cost, but others are high-risk, unrel...

There is no clear plan to replace or modernise legacy systems and data that are critical to service provision but are often old, unsupportable, vulnerable and a constraint on transformation. Legacy systems, some of which date back to the 1970s, …

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1 Dec 2021 | Committee report linked

Despite clear warning signs, the Department proceeded with an unrealistic implementation timescale for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme. The Department had twelve weeks to set up the Scheme from announcement to launch. It was confident this was possible based on previous schemes, and felt the pace was necessary due to the need to boost jobs at a time of economic risk and to start installations before winter. However, this limited timeframe put immense constraints on design, consultation a...

Despite clear warning signs, the Department proceeded with an unrealistic implementation timescale for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme. The Department had twelve weeks to set up the Scheme from announcement to launch. It was confident this was possible based …

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25 Oct 2021 | Committee report linked

We have heard concerns that skills shortages will affect delivery of the Government’s long-term environmental goals, as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan. It is welcome that Defra are currently working on a Skills Gap Plan to identify where there are skills shortages and collaborating with other departments on this.

We have heard concerns that skills shortages will affect delivery of the Government’s long-term environmental goals, as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan. It is welcome that Defra are currently working on a Skills Gap Plan to identify …

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25 Oct 2021 | Committee report linked

We recommend that Defra’s Skills Gap Plan cover all areas of the 25 Year Environment Plan and be accompanied by an Action Plan to address skills shortages, developed in co-ordination with the Department for Education and stakeholders. The Skills Gap Plan and Action Plan ought to be published by March 2022 at the latest and aligned with Defra’s existing and forthcoming sectoral plans and strategies, such as the Waste and Resources, Clean Air, Trees, Peat and Nature strategies.

We recommend that Defra’s Skills Gap Plan cover all areas of the 25 Year Environment Plan and be accompanied by an Action Plan to address skills shortages, developed in co-ordination with the Department for Education and stakeholders. The Skills Gap …

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25 Oct 2021 | Committee report linked

Our previous report on biodiversity in the UK identified that education could provide a crucial lever to address inequalities in access to nature. The Government’s Children and Nature Programme went some way in increasing access opportunities for schoolchildren, however the programme is due to end in March 2022. We consider this misses an opportunity to build on the successes of the programme through expanding the programme, to further widen access to nature in education and contribute to bui...

Our previous report on biodiversity in the UK identified that education could provide a crucial lever to address inequalities in access to nature. The Government’s Children and Nature Programme went some way in increasing access opportunities for schoolchildren, however the …

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25 Oct 2021 | Committee report linked

By the end of January 2022, the Government should engage with delivery partners and schools in order to extend the Children and Nature programme beyond March 2022 and expand the number of delivery projects within the programme, using the evaluation project findings to inform the design and implementation of this expansion.

By the end of January 2022, the Government should engage with delivery partners and schools in order to extend the Children and Nature programme beyond March 2022 and expand the number of delivery projects within the programme, using the evaluation …

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30 Sep 2021 | Committee report linked

The policy statement on environmental principles, to be prepared under the Environment Bill, ought to be a powerful tool for mainstreaming environmental concerns, including biodiversity, across Government. So the Government’s response to the recommendation of our previous report—arguing that general taxation and spending should be exempt from the statement of environmental principles—was disappointing. We are concerned that the Government’s approach to this issue shows a lack of commitment to...

The policy statement on environmental principles, to be prepared under the Environment Bill, ought to be a powerful tool for mainstreaming environmental concerns, including biodiversity, across Government. So the Government’s response to the recommendation of our previous report—arguing that general

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30 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

We support the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office made in their work on Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals. The Government must provide a comprehensive, consistent, and time-bound record of funding for the 25 Year Environment Plan. In its response to this report, the Government must set out in detail the funding committed to biodiversity since the announcement of the 25 Year Environment Plan; how much has been announced or otherwis...

We support the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office made in their work on Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals. The Government must provide a comprehensive, consistent, and time-bound record of funding for the 25 Year …

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30 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

The Government is not on track to achieve its objective of improving the environment within a generation, and its 25 Year Environment Plan does not provide sufficient direction to change this. Despite repeated calls in the last five years by this Committee, the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Committee and the Natural Capital Committee, the Government is yet to establish a baseline to measure progress against environmental goals. In the meantime, the UK’s natural capital assets app...

The Government is not on track to achieve its objective of improving the environment within a generation, and its 25 Year Environment Plan does not provide sufficient direction to change this. Despite repeated calls in the last five years by …

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30 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

We recommend the Government start the process of setting an environmental footprint target by launching a consultation ahead of COP15 on how to model the overseas environmental impact of UK consumption. This could feed into Defra’s work on international indicators within the Outcome Indicator Framework.

We recommend the Government start the process of setting an environmental footprint target by launching a consultation ahead of COP15 on how to model the overseas environmental impact of UK consumption. This could feed into Defra’s work on international indicators …

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17 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The UK will host COP26 in November 2020. All eyes will be on the UK as an environmental world leader. The Chancellor’s Spring Budget must back this ambition, and ensure that the UK’s spending plans align with its net zero and biodiversity commitments.

The UK will host COP26 in November 2020. All eyes will be on the UK as an environmental world leader. The Chancellor’s Spring Budget must back this ambition, and ensure that the UK’s spending plans align with its net zero …

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3 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

Environmental impacts are still not being taken into account in spending decisions. For the last Spending Review, the Treasury asked departments to set out how their proposals would contribute towards the UK’s statutory carbon targets, and to explain their impact on, and coherence with, the 25 Year Plan. However, departments struggled to do this. As part of updating its Green Book guidance on evaluating projects, the Treasury has made changes to better prioritise the environment, and it has c...

Environmental impacts are still not being taken into account in spending decisions. For the last Spending Review, the Treasury asked departments to set out how their proposals would contribute towards the UK’s statutory carbon targets, and to explain their impact …

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3 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

To deliver government’s ambitions as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (the Department) has lead responsibility for all environmental policy areas apart from climate change mitigation, for which the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has the policy lead. Other parts of government including the Department for Transport, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and local authorities also have import...

To deliver government’s ambitions as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (the Department) has lead responsibility for all environmental policy areas apart from climate change mitigation, for which the Department …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
3 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

While the Plan sets out a whole-of-government commitment to improve the environment within a generation, the existing arrangements for joint working between departments on environmental issues are patchy, with no clear indications of senior ownership of the Plan outside the Department and its own arms-length bodies.19 The Department was the only government department which specifically mentioned the Plan in its 2019 single departmental plan objectives.20 The Department has two oversight group...

While the Plan sets out a whole-of-government commitment to improve the environment within a generation, the existing arrangements for joint working between departments on environmental issues are patchy, with no clear indications of senior ownership of the Plan outside the …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK