The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is developing a Nature Recovery Green Paper and framework to address biodiversity loss and ecosystem service decline through a natural capital approach. The policy involves Natural England as a statutory consultee and integrates nature recovery with climate action, requiring coordination with planning reform and spending reviews to establish resourcing and targets by 2026.
The government’s expectations for how Natural England supports nature recovery, sustainable growth and effective environmental regulation.
The Government should publish a paper, by March 2026, clearly laying out the Government’s housing targets, NE’s role as a statutory consultee and in developing and implementing the NRF, and what resourcing will be required for NE going forwards to …
Information about the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme.
In response to: Actions to jointly address climate change and biodiversity loss in England
Taxpayer purchase of ecosystem services alone is no longer a sufficient mechanism to deliver the overall improvement in ecosystem services necessary for the scale of nature recovery required. (Conclusion, Paragraph 49) Type: conclusion | Number: 6 | Response status: accepted …
The Committee agrees with the Government’s current approach to driving investment into nature recovery through drawing in private finance. Whatever the source of the funds, policy should ensure that farmers and land managers are supported to deliver ecosystem improvements while …
The supply of natural capital schemes to the market is inherently limited by the land space which is in practice available for nature restoration. There are constraints in the UK in delivering projects at the scale seemingly required for the …
The Government’s projections for changes in land use in England by 2050, contained in its current consultation on a Land Use Framework, indicate a potentially substantial increase in the land area allocated to nature recovery, either alongside or instead of …
We recommend that as part of the forthcoming Land Use Framework the Government undertake a thorough review of its approach to incentivising the allocation of privately held land to nature recovery, in particular in respect of changes of use of …
Natural capital assets are an essential foundation of the UK and global economy, and we consider that a natural capital approach is vital if the overall value of nature to the UK is to be properly evaluated and developed. (Conclusion, …
The work done so far in Government to incorporate natural capital approaches into policymaking and the overall evaluation of the economy is welcome: but there is little evidence to how this approach genuinely informs Ministerial and Cabinet decisions on the …
We recommend that in its response to this report the Government provide an assessment of the extent to which a natural capital approach is currently incorporated into decisions on policy, how risks to current levels of natural capital are taken …
We expect the Government to use the June 2025 Spending Review to set out how it has taken a natural capital approach to the evaluation of spending decisions as well as to set out how the approaches taken will grow …
UIN: HLWS491 My honourable friend, the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP, has made the following Written Statement.This Government is committed to ending poverty on a liveable planet. The climate and nature crises define our times and it is the …
In response to: Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery
UIN: HLWS193 My honourable friend, the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP, has made the following Written Statement.The climate and nature crisis defines our times and it is the most vulnerable who bear the brunt. Over half of global GDP …
We have committed to protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030 (30by30). This document sets out the government's vision for delivering on the UK's 30by30 target on land in England and the criteria for land and inland …
UIN: HCWS47 Nature in Britain is dying.Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.Our wildlife is in crisis – faced by the perfect storm of habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pollution, resource consumption pressures and …
UIN: HLWS47 My Right Honourable Friend, The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP), has made the following statement.Nature in Britain is dying.Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in …
In response to: Nature Markets Framework progress update March 2024
Update on progress under the Nature Markets Framework.
A Bill to transfer the power to designate sites of special scientific interest from Natural England to the Secretary of State; to make provision about the exercise of that power by the Secretary of St
Nature-based solutions to climate change, such as parks, trees, water bodies and green infrastructure, have significant cooling effects as well as multiple co-benefits (for example, for health, wellbeing, air quality, flood resilience and biodiversity). Increasing the amount of green space …
UIN: HCWS77 Tackling climate change and restoring nature go hand in hand. As we prepare for the next international climate discussion at COP28, today we are delivering a package of measures to steward and restore our natural heritage, connect people …
The government has set out a series of actions to steward our natural heritage and support responsible access to it.
To give the sector greater clarity, we recommend that future strategies for forestry should be fully integrated so as to establish a clear and holistic long-term vision for all woodland creation types. The Government should clearly set out how forestry …
Tree planting and woodland creation are vital for delivering many of the Government’s environmental targets and commitments, as well as providing a domestic source of timber. We therefore support the tree planting targets set by the UK Government and welcome …
The Government aims to increase tree-cover expansion at rates not seen for decades in order to deliver a range of ecosystem service benefits. To ensure that these benefits are realised, and to deliver the Government’s vision for increased woodland cover, …
The private sector is concerned about the implications of delays to Forestry England restocking on future timber supply. Forestry England is responsible for a significant proportion of domestic timber production and should be appropriately resourced to carry out timely restocking. …
Central government is a major landowner. The Greening Government Commitments commit the Government to identify opportunities to contribute to nature recovery on the Government estate. Woodland creation can be a significant contributor to nature recovery. (Paragraph 70) Seeing the wood …
Given the different advantages of different woodland types and species mixes for biodiversity, carbon storage and timber production, to ensure that the benefits of the nation’s woodlands are fully realised, the total area of woodland managed to the UKFS must …
We welcome the formation of the Defra England Species Reintroductions Taskforce. However, we regret that the positive impact it has the potential to create has been undermined by its slow establishment and resultant lack of stakeholder engagement. The Defra proposed …
UIN: HCWS906 I am repeating the statement made last Friday by my noble friend the Minister, Lord Benyon.Government is committed to delivering large scale, widespread nature recovery across England. We depend on nature for everything – from food, water, and …
UIN: HLWS886 Government is committed to delivering large scale, widespread nature recovery across England. We depend on nature for everything – from food, water, and resources to the places we go when we need to relax and recharge - but …
Third Reading 10:17:00 Clause 3: Financial provisions Amendment Moved by Leave out Clause 3 Lord Redesdale (LD): My Lords, this is a simple tidying-up amendment to remove a financial provision that should have been removed in Committee. I beg to …
A framework for scaling up private investment in nature recovery and sustainable farming.
This green paper sets out our initial thoughts on driving nature recovery in England via our protected sites and species protections.
The proposals set out in this Green Paper support our ambitions to restore nature and halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. The Green Paper includes options to bring clarity and coherence to our framework for protected sites; to …
We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland a year by 2025 in the UK. However, the Government has not set a clear target for England’s contribution, which will likely require England to treble its …
The Minister told us that the £500m allocated by the Government to woodland creation and management from 2020 to 2025 wouldn’t be enough to realise the Government ambitions, and it is not clear whether the extra funding committed in the …
The proposals set out in this Green Paper support our ambitions to restore nature and halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. The Green Paper includes options to bring clarity and coherence to our framework for protected sites; to …
This green paper sets out our initial thoughts on driving nature recovery in England via our protected sites and species protections.
The value of biodiversity in rivers in England does not appear to have been priced adequately into the economic decisions made by companies and by regulatory agencies. If it is to meet the Environment Act’s legally binding target to halt …
Ofwat’s economic regulation of the sector through previous price reviews does not appear to have given sufficient priority to the preservation of natural capital. We recommend that, when it publishes its review methodology in 2022, Ofwat set out how it …
The FCDO told us that it would “kick-start a just rural transition towards sustainable land use to benefit people, climate and nature” by earmarking £3 billion of the £11.6 billion in UK ICF for 2021–2026 to fund programmes that “protect, …
We first recommended that the Government pilot a National Nature Service in our report ‘Growing back better: putting nature and net zero at the heart of the economic recovery’. The Government’s response did not engage directly with this proposal. A …
We reiterate the recommendation from our earlier report that the Government should work with conservation organisations to pilot a National Nature Service during 2022. Type: recommendation | Number: 10 | Paragraph: 55 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: As set …
A natural capital approach to valuing agricultural products provides another way to increase the sustainability of supply chains. Type: conclusion | Number: 14 | Paragraph: 55 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: A natural capital approach helps decision-makers understand the …
Within the National Food Strategy the Government should consider how a natural capital approach could be adopted without placing a disproportionate financial burden on farmers or consumers. Type: recommendation | Number: 15 | Paragraph: 56 | Response status: not_addressed Government …
The publication of the first draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework provides a promising starting point, but elements of the draft lack ambition. • The 2030 mission should be clearer and stronger, and should align with the Leaders’ Pledge …
In promoting a transformative Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, we recommend that the UK Government advocate: • A strengthening of the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework’s 2030 mission to align with the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature and G7 2030 Nature Compact to halt and …
We recommend that the Government urgently review the funding allocated to bodies with responsibility for monitoring, protecting and increasing levels of biodiversity in England, consistent with its goals for nature recovery under the 25 Year Environment Plan. In the next …
The Government increased Natural England’s baseline funding by £11.3 million in in 2020–21 and has committed to increasing this by a further £75 million. Whilst 118 Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust? the funding increase is welcome, it does …
In the next multi-annual spending review, we recommend that Natural England receive a materially greater contribution in annual funding, in line with its 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review bid. Type: recommendation | Number: 28 | Paragraph: 126 | Response status: under_consideration …
We recommend the Government commission a review of the operation of ‘perverse subsidies’ in the UK economy. This must entail the identification, assessment and tracking of public expenditure harmful to biodiversity, and the publication of data on the extent of …
We welcome the Government’s pledge to protect 30 per cent of the UK’s land and seas by 2030, but simply designating areas as protected is not enough. The UK’s protected areas are poorly managed. More focus must be given to …
The Government should provide a full response to the Glover Review before the 2021 summer recess. Type: recommendation | Number: 39 | Paragraph: 166 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: The government recognises the importance of well-managed protected areas for …
Protecting existing ecosystems, be that ancient woodland, peatlands, or kelp forests provides the most cost-effective and significant contribution to NbS in the UK. Given the majority of the UK’s ecosystems lie outside of protected areas, more needs to be done …
Professor Dasgupta has emphasised that family planning and sexual and reproductive healthcare is a neglected feature of public policy. The unmet demand for family planning is huge and addressing human population numbers is also key to reducing our demands on …
Economic models that do not value nature and ecosystems cannot address climate change and biodiversity loss. GDP is a well-established measure of economic activity, but as Professor Dasgupta has highlighted, by itself it is not an adequate way to assesses …
Further work is needed on the natural capital accounting and assessment methodology, but this should not stop the Government and businesses using natural capital accounting now. Accounting for natural capital in some way, is better than ignoring it completely because …
The UK should work with countries at COP15, COP26 and through the G7 to construct an internationally agreed way to integrate natural capital accounts into core national 124 Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust? accounts. This aligns with two …
The Committee acknowledges that currently natural capital approaches cannot capture intrinsic values of nature, but they do serve as a first stepping-stone to valuing the natural environment in existing economic models. Type: conclusion | Number: 63 | Paragraph: 301 | …
At present, the impact of Government policies and projects on nature is not adequately factored into spending decisions. As a result, the Government is not on track to meet its nature recovery goals. On aggregate, HM Treasury and other departments …
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 …
The Government should include a Net Zero test of the 2021 Budget in its Net Zero Review. Net Zero tests should be refined for future fiscal events to assess the climate impacts of taxation, spending and resource decisions. The Government …
For biodiversity to be protected, it has to be appreciated and valued. But our increasing detachment from nature stops many of us knowing and directly experiencing it. This starts at a young age; children are spending less and less time …
The planning system should pay greater attention to the importance of green spaces and to wildlife near to people’s residences. The Government should reconsider the 108 The future of the planning system in England retention of sustainability assessments and ensure …
UIN: HCWS38 The events of the last twelve months have led people to appreciate the difference that nature makes to our lives more than ever before. Restoring nature will be crucial as we seek to build back greener from this …
UIN: HLWS36 My Right Hon Friend the Secretary of State (George Eustice) has today made the following statement.The events of the last twelve months have led people to appreciate the difference that nature makes to our lives more than ever …
The government is setting out a series of actions in England to protect precious habitats and species on land.
The potential consequences of biodiversity loss for human populations have for too long been overlooked. It is vital that nature recovery is also prioritised in our economic recovery efforts alongside action on climate change. If measures to promote economic recovery …
The speed at which we have developed the vaccine under pressure shows how rapidly scientific progress can be made when efforts are concentrated and urgent. We now need to apply that same level of urgency to developing and deploying the …
Infrastructure invested in now will be in use for decades to come. It is essential that all decisions on infrastructure investment are considered against the net zero target, likely impacts on biodiversity and future projections of the changes in climate …
Investment in nature recovery projects could deliver a range of economic, environmental and social benefits. As well as protecting UK wildlife, well designed schemes could create thousands of job opportunities, while improving flood resilience and locking more carbon in trees …
We recommend that the Government, in developing further its strategy for economic recovery, give greater priority to strategic projects aimed at encouraging nature recovery. The Government should work with conservation charities to pilot the idea of a National Nature Service …
We asked the Department what its role is in relation to creating and retaining ‘green’ jobs. It told us that the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, established in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and initially funded to £40 million, has been …
It is vital that the recovery from COVID-19 helps us to build a greener, fairer and more resilient global economy. Protecting precious forest environments is central to tackling climate change, ensuring that people have secure livelihoods, and protecting the natural …
It is vital that the recovery from COVID-19 helps us to build a greener, fairer and more resilient global economy. Protecting precious forest environments is central to tackling climate change, ensuring that people have secure livelihoods, and protecting the natural …
In response to: Natural Capital Committee’s seventh annual report: government response
Government response to the Natural Capital Committee’s seventh state of natural capital report.
In response to: Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018
In response to: Natural Capital Committee’s sixth annual report: government response
Government response to the Natural Capital Committee’s sixth state of natural capital report.
Our response to the Natural Capital Committee’s third state of natural capital report.