Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

A set of clear, evidence-based long-term targets for protecting and restoring nature has the potential to be a powerful driver of environmental improvement policy, similar to the role of the long-term Net Zero target under the Climate Change Act. [...] Steep declines in species abundance since the 1970s mean the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with 15% of its species threatened with extinction.1 The CCC’s assessments show recent actions have delivered little progress in addressing the losses, suggesting that the rate of decline is likely to persist.2 Expressing the target against a future level removes the urgency f. [...] The Office for Environmental Protection has emphasised the need for a comprehensive baseline from which to monitor the condition of the environment. [...] The target should specify the types and extent of habitats covered, and clearly define the condition and connectivity, including in relation to Protected Areas, of the ecosystems they support. [...] To achieve this, the many benefits of the proposed outcome-based targets must be clearly linked to the suite of climate and environmental policies that support them, in England and across the devolved administrations.