Before the General Election, there was a rare cross-party commitment to a 25 year Environment Plan. The Conservative Manifesto promised a ‘25 Year Plan to restore the UK’s biodiversity’. That election pledge was hard-won, following recommendations by the Natural Capital Committee and campaigning by NGOs.
Two years on from the Election, a framework for the 25 Year Plan is under consultation and although praised for its ambitions it has been criticised for the lack of legally-binding targets for environmental improvement, which would be underpinned by investment and new accountability mechanisms. The Natural Capital Committee has again entered the debate, calling for the plan to be given a legal basis and its separation from the Government’s 25 year Food and Farming Plan has also been questioned.
In this debate, we consider the scope, ambition and content of the 25 year Environment Plan and ask what are the hallmarks of a plan that can really deliver long-term environmental improvement and meet challenges such as air pollution, poor water quality and loss of habitats and wildlife.
Speakers
- Martin Spray CBE, Chief Executive, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
- Ian Dickie, Director, eftec
- David Hart QC
Email