Environmental improvement plan 2025

Approximate read time: 14 minutes

The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the following question for short debate on 8 January 2026:

Lord Krebs (Crossbench) to ask His Majesty’s government how the environmental improvement plan 2025 will deliver the targets of the Environment Act 2021.

1. Environment Act 2021

The Environment Act 2021 was passed by Boris Johnson’s Conservative government. It provided a legal framework for environmental governance in the UK and made provision for environmental improvement, including the need for the government to set legally binding environmental targets through regulations.

The act specified that the targets should cover four priority areas: air quality, biodiversity, resources and waste. It also set out how the targets should be reviewed and monitored and required the government to publish environmental improvement plans (EIPs). The EIPs must detail plans for how the government would be improving the environment over a period of at least 15 years. It set the government’s 2018 ‘A green future: Our 25 year plan to improve the environment’ as the initial EIP, but required this to be reviewed and revised by the end of January 2023 and then every few years thereafter. Among other things, these revisions should set interim targets and review the implementation of the plan. In addition, the legislation requires the government to publish annual progress reports focusing on actions taken under the EIP and data or evidence of environmental improvement.

The act also set up the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The OEP is required to contribute to the protection and improvement of the environment; for example, by holding the government and public bodies to account on these matters.

In a press release published about the Environment Act 2021 in November 2021, the then government stated:

Through the act, we will clean up the country’s air, restore natural habitats, increase biodiversity, reduce waste and make better use of our resources. It will halt the decline in species by 2030, require new developments to improve or create habitats for nature, and tackle deforestation overseas.

It will help us transition to a more circular economy, incentivising people to recycle more, encouraging businesses to create sustainable packaging, making household recycling easier and stopping the export of polluting plastic waste to developing countries.

These changes will be driven by new legally binding environmental targets, and enforced by a new, independent Office for Environmental Protection which will hold government and public bodies to account on their environmental obligations.^[1]

Further information on the background and contents of the legislation can be found in the following briefings:

• House of Lords Library, ‘Environment Bill: Briefing for Lords stages’, 3 June 2021
• House of Commons Library, ‘Commons Library analysis of the Environment Bill 2019–20’, 6 March 2020; and ‘Environment Bill 2021–22: Lords amendments and “ping pong” stages’, 15 November 2021 (the bill was carried over from the 2019–21 session to the 2021–22 session)

2. Environmental improvement plan 2025

2.1 Overview

The first revision to the EIP was published by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government on 31 January 2023.^[2] It set out progress towards the ten goals set by the 2018 EIP, the specific targets and commitments made in relation to each goal (including interim targets), and plans to continue to deliver these targets. The ten goals set by the 2018 EIP were:

• thriving plants and wildlife
• clean air
• clean and plentiful water
• managing exposure to chemicals and pesticides
• maximise our resources, minimise our waste
• using resources from nature sustainably
• mitigating and adapting to climate change
• reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards
• enhancing biosecurity
• enhanced beauty, heritage, and engagement with the natural environment

The 2025 revision to the EIP was published by the current government on 1 December 2025.^[3] The government said the content of the revised EIP was informed by a rapid review of the 2023 iteration, the latest statutory annual progress reports, and feedback from the OEP and other stakeholders.^[4] Among other things, the government said its review of the EIP highlighted the need to better coordinate evidence, clarify delivery and accountability, and apply simplified, sustained funding.

As with the 2023 version, the 2025 EIP set out actions and commitments against the ten goals listed above, and amended and added to the interim targets. For example, the section on goal 5 (waste) sets out:^[5]

• the government’s focus for that area to “minimise waste by designing it out of the system, reusing and recycling materials wherever possible”
• commitments and interim targets, such as reducing illegal waste sites by 2029 to 2030
• government actions and which department would be responsible for them; for example, the Department for Health and Social Care would be responsible for government plans to transition the UK away from all avoidable single-use medical technology (medtech) products by 2045
• a final summary page of actions and commitments against that goal

The paper also sets out how progress against EIP targets and commitments will be measured. For example, it stated:

A robust internal structure is in place to manage and track implementation of the EIP. We set senior responsible owners for each target and commitment, and implementation is actively managed by Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] ministers and the Defra executive team. We regularly review this through the Defra Environment committee and the cross-government EIP Board, alongside outcome, portfolio and programme boards.

To report progress and maintain momentum, the Environment Act 2021 sets out a statutory reporting cycle for the EIP and the interim targets. Monitoring of progress toward the ambitions and goals of the EIP is through a statutory annual progress report.^[6]

In a press release accompanying the new EIP, the government highlighted some of the changes to targets; for example, it flagged a new air quality target for population exposure to PM2.5 (fine particulate pollution) to be cut by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels) and a new target to reduce the rate of establishment of invasive non-native species compared to 25 years ago.^[7] Regarding the second of these targets, the government explained it also aimed to manage existing invasive species like the American signal crayfish and Japanese knotweed.

The press release also outlined a number of the government’s commitments, including:

• £500mn for landscape recovery projects
• £85mn to improve and restore peatlands
• a new plan (due to be published in 2026) to reduce risks from ‘forever chemicals’ to health and the environment
• a new ‘Trees action plan’ (also due to be published in 2026) and measures to reduce damaging methane emissions

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated:

Our environment faces real challenges, with pollution in our waterways, air quality that’s too low in many areas, and treasured species in decline. This plan marks a step change in restoring nature. Our ambitious targets are backed by real action to cut harmful air pollutants, revive habitats and protect the environment for generations to come.^[8]

2.2 Environmental targets

A list of the current statutory targets (established under the Environment Act 2021 and subsequent regulations) and updated interim targets is set out in annex 2 of the 2025 EIP.

These include:^[9]

Select statutory targets

• Increase species abundance so that by 2042 it is greater than in 2022 and at least 10% greater than in 2030.
• Improve the red list index for England for species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels.
• Achieve at least a 35% reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 by 31 December 2040 compared to 2018 levels.
• Halve the length of rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned metal mines by 2038, against a baseline of 1,491km.
• By 31 December 2042, the total mass of residual waste excluding major mineral waste for the calendar year 2042 does not exceed 287kg per capita. This is roughly the same as a 50% reduction from 2019 levels.

Select interim targets

• Restore or create a total of 250,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitats outside of protected sites by December 2030.
• By December 2030 50% of site of special scientific interest (SSSI) features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition.
• At least 49% of marine protected area (MPA) protected features are in favourable condition and at least 46% in recovering condition, by December 2030.
• Reduce water leakage by 20% from a 2017 to 2018 baseline by 31 March 2027 and by 30% by 31 March 2032.
• By December 2030, the total mass of residual waste excluding major mineral waste in the most recent full calendar year does not exceed 437kg per capita (24% reduction).

2.3 Progress reports

Both the government and the OEP publish annual progress reports on action being taken to improve the environment and the goals and targets set out in the EIP. The latest editions of these progress reports were both published before the 2025 revisions to the EIP.

The OEP published its latest progress report in January 2025. It warned that the government was largely off track in achieving its environmental commitments and that urgent action was needed:

The OEP concludes that while there have been some areas of improvement, very substantial challenges remain with less progress being made overall compared to the previous 12 months. Government is still largely off track to achieve obligations endorsed by Parliament to significantly improve the natural environment.

Key deadlines are fast approaching. There is still opportunity for this government to catch up and to get on track, and to change the trajectory we are on. To do so, urgent and decisive action is needed […]^[10]

The government progress report was published by Defra in July 2025. It stressed that it would be the last progress report under the 2023 EIP, and set out its ambitions for the new 2025 EIP:

EIP25 will include delivery information to set out how we will meet the ambitious Environment Act targets. The government’s number one mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that the natural resources that underpin our economy are finite and under increasing pressure. The natural environment is amongst our most valuable national assets. EIP25 will set out the approach to improving the natural environment we need to take to grow our economy, build 1.5 million homes, boost food security and meet our environment and climate targets with nature as the enabler, driver and protector of growth.

Improving on EIP23, EIP25 will be a clearer, prioritised plan for achieving environmental outcomes such as reducing waste across the economy, planting more trees, improving air quality and halting the decline in species.

Our revised EIP will be a document that guides action and decision making, with achievable delivery plans for restoring nature and improving the natural environment, underpinned by world-leading environmental science and consultation with experts. The EIP25 will include a clearer monitoring and evaluation framework through which we will assess progress and interim target delivery.^[11]

The government then set out recent developments and actions under each of the ten EIP goals and committed to a strengthened annual reporting process under its new plans.

3. Reaction to the updated environmental improvement plan

The OEP published a statement in response to the publication of the revised EIP. Dame Glenys Stacey, chair of the OEP, reiterated that its last progress report had found the government largely off target to meet commitments.^[12] She also said that, due to many of the deadlines for targets fast approaching, the new EIP will “succeed or fail” on action taken now.

Turning to the content of the new EIP, she highlighted a number of positives, but did raise concerns that it could be stronger and clearer in places:

We can see much to commend in the revised plan published today. It offers a more cohesive and transparent approach, and we note the step forward taken in publishing target delivery plans alongside the main EIP. We can see that much of the independent advice we provided for the review of the EIP has been taken on board.

On initial view, the new EIP has strengths in coherent and specific commitments. Delivering all that is planned here would improve the chances of government achieving its environmental ambitions. There are places, however, where we think the revised EIP could have been stronger still. Some of the commitments seem vague and there are some gaps in the plans to monitor progress. We will also be examining the extent to which the revised EIP stands in the place of a dedicated chemicals strategy.^[13]

She also noted the new interim targets, and said these would need to be assessed in more detail by the OEP over coming months to gauge how they might affect the statutory targets.

The chair of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins (Labour) welcomed the new EIP, but did raise some concerns over funding.

Stronger air pollution targets are welcome, as is the commitment to publish a PFAS [perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’] action plan in 2026, something that the committee’s ongoing inquiry will look at in detail.^[14]

Do the government’s commitments match its ambition? The £500mn for Landscape Recovery is much needed, but at £25mn a year, I am very sceptical that it offers anything like adequate funding.^[15]

He said the committee would continue to scrutinise the government’s plans set out in the revised EIP.

The Wildlife Trusts’ response was more critical, branding the new EIP underwhelming. Although it welcomed the clarity given to the actions being taken and by whom, it said that it failed to recognise the urgency required. It continued:

Report after report shows that nature declines are acute and that tackling the nature crisis is a matter of great urgency—and yet the EIP is light on timing, delaying several key interim targets beyond 2030. It commits to action plans and further detail in due course rather than publishing policy decisions and funding allocations alongside the document. There is also a disappointing lack of recognition for addressing key skills gaps in the ecology sector.

Despite recognition of the importance of nature for the economy in the ‘effective environmental policymaking’ section, the document’s bite across government is clearly limited. Actions must be adopted by a range of departments and be fully supported from No10 if they are to succeed.^[16]

In addition, the organisation criticised the government for mixed messaging, saying that the new EIP had been published on the same day as Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke about some “well-intentioned” environmental regulations holding back building and infrastructure plans.^[17] On this, the Wildlife Trusts’ stated that “however well-meaning Defra’s efforts to recover nature are, they will remain mere efforts as long as those at the top of government are working to precisely opposite ends”.

The Wildlife Trusts’ response to the 2025 EIP also contained an analysis of its content broken down by policy area.

4. Read more

• House of Lords Library, ‘Impact of government policies on biodiversity and the countryside’, 10 November 2025
• House of Commons Library, ‘Are we on target for the environment?’, 16 July 2024

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