EAC to quiz Environment Secretary “at a crucial time to seek some reassurance”
At a time of heightened speculation regarding the Government’s commitment to nature and the environment, the Environment Secretary will next week face the Environmental Audit Committee.
The evidence session comes a week after the Chancellor’s meeting with regulators including Natural England and the Environment Agency, which resulted in an action plan setting out a “radical shake-up” to cut “red tape that blocks new housing and infrastructure”. Some of the initiatives include looking at environmental guidance afresh and delivering a faster and simpler way to agree environmental permits. But does this represent a watering down of environmental commitments, and does it mean that the Government’s targets for nature are more likely to be missed?
Meeting details
In a wide-ranging evidence session on nature and environment policies, topics that Committee members may cover include the following:
- The findings of the Office for Environmental Protection’s most recent annual assessment report, published in January, warning that the Government is off track to meet legally binding targets for nature and the environment in England, such as those on achieving thriving plants and wildlife.
- The current Government review of the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan, and how Defra is seeking to achieve cross-Whitehall buy in to ensure policies across the whole of Government support improving the environment.
- When the Land Use Framework will be published, and how it will relate to Government plans for delivering emissions reductions from land use.
- Recent Government commitments on air quality strategy and water quality improvements.
- The Government’s commitment to the circular economy and its current priorities for delivering the Resources and Waste Strategy.
- Whether sufficient funding for the delivery of environmental and climate adaptation goals is likely to be allocated during this Parliament.
- The final outcome of the recent COP16 conference and the UK’s role in leading international support for protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.