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In response to the Office for Environmental Protection’s latest progress report, the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee says the Government needs to match ambition with concrete results.

Chair comment

Toby Perkins, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, yesterday said: 

“The OEP is right: their excellent and detailed report reveals that nature is no blocker to economic growth, but rather it is essential to economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.  

“I am encouraged by this report, and by the OEP’s view that the Government has taken their advice on board when revising the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). 

“However, the report also lays bare how big the gap is between current achievements and the legally binding targets committed to in the Environment Act. The new EIP contains plenty of ambitious plans but does in places remain short of the concrete funding commitments needed. 

“Ministers are still to deliver an array of further plans and strategies, from PFAS chemicals to the long-awaited Land Use Framework, to name just two. If the new EIP is to set the nation back on the track to achieve the EA targets and deliver genuine change for nature, coherence and strong delivery will be key. 

“My Committee will be watching closely to see if the Government can match its ambitions with concrete results.”

Further information

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