Invasive non-native species Environment Act target delivery plan
Statutory Environment Act targets
Preventing the establishment of invasive non-native species (INNS) will support and contribute towards 3 of our statutory Environment Act targets. By reducing the risk of new harmful species taking hold, we can ease the pressure on native species and their habitats, helping to prevent further biodiversity loss.
The interim target contributes to the following statutory targets:
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halt the decline in species abundance by 2030
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increase species abundance so that by 2042 it is greater than in 2022 and at least 10% greater than in 2030
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improve the Red List Index for England for species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels
Interim target
- reduce the rate of establishment of invasive non-native species (INNS) by at least 50% by December 2030, compared to 2000 levels
Rationale for the interim target: why and how it will progress delivery of the Environment Act target
Reducing the establishment rate of INNS will help deliver the statutory species abundance and extinction targets by limiting future pressures on native species, habitats, and water quality. Current uncertainties around which INNS may establish in future, and limited data on distribution and impact, mean we cannot yet quantify this target’s contribution to the statutory Environment Act targets. However, we are improving data and monitoring in order to strengthen future assessments.
We have aligned this new interim target with target 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Through it we will reduce the rate at which INNS become established by at least 50% by 2030, using the year 2000 as a baseline.
By reducing the establishment rate of INNS, we will limit their future impacts on native species and both land and water habitats. The actions we take to manage the pressure on native species from established INNS will also help deliver the statutory species targets and are covered in the wider EIP activities of Goal 1 (restored nature).
Delivery measures
Table 1. Summary of delivery measures to support the INNS delivery plan
| Delivery measure | Description | Estimated contribution to the interim targets | Evidence of impact | Responsible | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain Non-native Species Inspectorate (GBNNSI) rapid response and contingency work | The GBNNSI helps to eradicate new INNS and prevent establishment through inspections, horizon scanning and enforcement, including through eradication programmes. We will enable the NNSI to focus on meeting our interim target by ensuring clear prioritisation of action and the maintenance of their capacity and resource. This is being done through 6-monthly reviews at the GB INNS Programme Board. |
Medium high | Through its work the GBNNSI has eradicated 2 invasive species; is overseeing 2 more; and has completed over 3,500 inspections. GBNNSI is estimated to contribute around 60% of the interim target. |
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), GB Non Native Species Inspectorate (GBNNSI), Environment Agency (EA) Natural England (NE) | In delivery |
| Environment Agency eradication programmes | Eradication programmes for aquatic INNS (for example, water primrose, topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva)), contributing to prevention of establishment. | Medium low | Environment Agency has already eradicated 3 species (Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas), Various leaved water milfoil and Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). 25 of 53 known water primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora) sites are believed to have been successfully eradicated. Progress is monitored by the Environment Agency through KPI W32-N. Inspections are ongoing and reported quarterly and are expected to continue contributing to the interim target through further site-level eradication and containment action. |
EA, landowners | In delivery |
| Great Britain INNS Strategy implementation and pathway management | This will support target delivery through biosecurity actions, pathway risk reduction, stakeholder coordination and behaviour change. A horizon scan is carried out at least every 5 years to identify priority species for contingency responses through a risk management exercise. The next scan will be completed by end of December 2025. Eradication responses to newly detected INNS will be implemented and monitored through the same review process. |
Supports the enabling environment for target delivery. Not quantifiable in isolation. | The strategy supports eradicative response to new species and provides education, identification tools and biosecurity materials. Actions prioritised within the strategy are critical to long-term success of the interim target by focussing work in the highest priority areas. |
Defra, APHA, (GB Non-Native Species Secretariat (GBNNSS)), Defra arm’s length bodies. | In delivery |
Key milestones
Key milestones for 2025 include:
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we will undertake a risk management exercise in 2025 to identify additional priority species to eradicate
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annual publication of action-based metrics from 2025 onwards, using GB Non-Native Species Information Portal (GBNNSIP) and GB Non-native Species Secretariat (GBNNSS) datasets
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INNS pathway action plans consultation completed by December 2025
Key milestones for 2026 include:
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we will prioritise species identified in the 2025 Great Britain horizon scanning exercise for contingency responses
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progress on Environment Agency eradication programmes will be reported in quarter 1 of each year
By December 2030, we will prevent the establishment of at least one invasive non-native species per year (5 by 2030) to meet the 50% reduction target.
Illustrative trajectory
Data from 1970 to 2000 indicates that approximately 14 new non-native species established in Great Britain each year. Of these, an estimated 10 to 15% are becoming invasive. This means roughly 2 new invasive species established annually, this forms the baseline for the target.
To meet the target we need to prevent, on average, at least one INNS from establishing in Great Britain per year over the next 5 years. This 5 year window allows for natural variation in annual data.
We expect to source data on action taken to prevent establishment from datasets held by GBNNSIP and GBNNSS.
Modelling work is ongoing to improve estimates of historical and predicted rates of INNS establishment, and we will continue to keep this data under review.
Key assumptions and caveats
The target is based on estimated rates of INNS establishment across Great Britain, which are being applied at the England level. This is considered appropriate, as most new INNS establishments in Great Britain occur in England.
Monitoring and evaluation summary
Outcomes-based indicator: H1
An indicator is currently being developed under the Environmental Indicator Framework (H1: Abatement of the number of invasive non-native species entering and establishing against a baseline). It will track how many INNS have been prevented from establishing in Great Britain by comparing predicted establishment rates with actual outcomes. The difference between these 2 trends will indicate the effectiveness of biosecurity measures and could be used to measure the target.
We are working with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) to review and develop this indicator. Proposed work involves breaking down the current preliminary indicator into its components, to reflect an England-only metric to report against the statutory targets. As well as updating the modelling to reflect recent updates and improvements to the GBNNSIP (which records the establishment status of non-native species across Great Britain). It is expected the indicator will be updated annually to reflect new data.
Finally, we need to integrate the new methods for the H1 indicator into Defra’s indicators, as well as ensuring alignment with reporting toward the Global Biodiversity Framework through collaboration with JNCC.
Action based indicator
Although the H1 indicator will be a useful metric, there will be data lags (particularly in the short term). For this reason, we plan to use the indicator alongside action-based metrics, to track shorter term progress by measuring which species we have prevented from establishing each year.
This actions-based metric relies on locally reported actions to prevent newly arrived species from successfully establishing. While this does not replace the outcome-based H1 indicator, it provides a proportionate and informative view of the direction of travel in the absence of up-to-date monitoring data.
The actions-based metric provides an immediate view of operational activity and intervention effectiveness. However, it relies on assumptions about which species would otherwise have established and does not fully reflect longer-term trends in establishment.
The aim will be to track whether interventions prevent the establishment of at least 5 invasive, or potentially invasive, non-native species in total over a 5-year period. To support assessment by 2030, the metric requires data from at least 2024 onwards, and assumes that, without intervention, species would have gone on to establish. Delivery relies on data on new arrivals and responses, including data provided by the public, and datasets held by the GBNNSIP and the GBNNSS.
Currently, we report preliminary figures for the action metric (as seen in the interim target report), while we continue to improve this reporting and monitoring process over time.
Going forward, we are continuing to develop methods for regular review of species’ establishment status in order to produce an accurate metric. This is because monitoring progress relies on being able to say which species are becoming established and which are being eradicated. This work is due to be completed by end of 2026 to 2027.