Environmental principles policy statement

Defra has published the final version of its environmental principles policy statement, to which ministers will have to have “due regard” when making policy.

The statement set out that policymakers should apply the following five environmental principles to support environmental protection and enhancement:

• the integration principle
• the prevention principle
• the rectification at source principle
• the polluter pays principle
• the precautionary principle.

Environmental Improvement Plan update

Defra has updated the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out midway milestones for the long term water targets it published under the Environment Act. The plan is the first five-year revision of the 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) published in 2018. It set out the progress made against the ten goals set under the 25YEP, as well as the specific targets and commitments made in relation to each goal, and how these are intended to be delivered going forward.

The overarching water goal is for clean and plentiful water. Defra issued the following new interim targets:

• Demand reduction – the Environment Act target to reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% by 2038 now includes the expectation of cuts of 9% by 2027 and 14% by 2032.
• Leakage – on the way to the established 50% cut by 2050, Defra has targeted a 20% cut by 2027 and a 30% cut by 2032.
• Phosphorus – on the Environment Act target to reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80% by 2038, the plan specifies the interim target of a 50% reduction by 2028.

Among the measures to support demand reduction, Defra announced a new, ten-year roadmap on water efficiency in new developments and retrofits. Along with implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act, this includes a commitment to review fixtures and fittings regulations and the Building Regulations 2010, as well as to deliver a water labelling scheme.