25 Year Environment Plan

'Fundamental to the economy': Government publishes five-year Environmental Improvement Plan

Policy

'Fundamental to the economy': Government publishes five-year Environmental Improvement Plan

New plan promises to create new nature reserves and drive 'green growth', but campaigners slam 'threadbare patchwork of policies'

clock 31 January 2023 • 7 min read
'The situation is poor across the board': Watchdog slams government failure to tackle nature decline

Policy

'The situation is poor across the board': Watchdog slams government failure to tackle nature decline

Office for Environmental Protection delivers damning verdict on a litany of government failings, as it demands urgent action to halt the decline of England's natural world

clock 18 January 2023 • 7 min read
'Do not delay': Office for Environment Protection issues stark warning over state of UK nature

Policy

'Do not delay': Office for Environment Protection issues stark warning over state of UK nature

Environmental laws and government strategy and policy have 'not yet proved successful' in slowing down, halting or reversing biodiversity decline, new regulatory body warns

clock 12 May 2022 • 5 min read

Policy

'Painfully slow': MPs deliver scathing review of government's environmental progress

MPs in Public Accounts Committee have urged government to 'move on from aspirational words' and start 'taking the hard decisions'

clock 03 February 2021 • 3 min read

Legislation

'Public money for public goods': Agriculture Bill becomes law

Landmark legislation passes into law, but concerns remain over how new Environmental Land Management System will be enacted

clock 11 November 2020 • 4 min read

Policy

Defra lacking clear plan for meeting environmental goals, watchdog warns

National Audit Office report urges government to shore-up its plans to protect and enhance the environment

clock 11 November 2020 • 4 min read

Policy

'Deteriorating': England's natural world in worsening state, government warned

Natural Capital Committee again warns there has been virtually no zero progress against the government's own biodiversity, water, air, and soil quality goals

clock 26 October 2020 • 5 min read

Politics

Government seeks legally-binding environmental targets from 2022

Defra promises 'robust, evidence led process' to set in statute air, water, waste and biodiversity targets by the end of October 2022

clock 19 August 2020 • 4 min read

Science

Government accused of 'staggering' failure to invest in soil health monitoring

Fraction of budget spent on soils in England despite importance for combatting floods and boosting food security, Sustainable Soils Alliance warns

clock 23 March 2020 • 2 min read

Policy

Deteriorating environment risks becoming 'drag' on economy, UK advisors warn

Natural Capital Committee gives scathing assessment of UK progress on environmental goals and calls for stronger green governance after Brexit

clock 17 January 2020 • 6 min read