We support the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee that the Treasury’s next Comprehensive Spending Review should set out how the full value of environmental impacts has been taken into account, and the impact of spending decisions on meeting government’s long-term environmental goals. To achieve this, every department needs to account for the costs and benefits to nature when appraising projects and policies. We reiterate the recommendation of the 2017–19 Committee that general ta...

We support the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee that the Treasury’s next Comprehensive Spending Review should set out how the full value of environmental impacts has been taken into account, and the impact of spending decisions on meeting government’s long-term environmental goals. To achieve this, every department needs to account for the costs and benefits to nature when appraising projects and policies. We reiterate the recommendation of the 2017–19 Committee that general taxation and spending should not be exempt from the Environmental Principles. Type: recommendation | Number: 65 | Paragraph: 316 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: As set out in the government response to the PAC, at spending reviews, departments are required to assess the costs and benefits of their proposals—including climate and environmental impacts—following the framework set out in the Green Book. Treasury spending teams consider these impacts when asses