This is government’s annual account of how it has implemented its commitments for protecting and improving the environment. It is our second account of progress since we published the 25 Year Environment Plan, our plan for improving the environment within a generation. Our 25 Year Environment Plan is a living blueprint for the environment covering the next quarter of a century. It is an ambitious project and will continue to evolve and be updated as our policies develop and exceed the original actions set out in 2018. This report describes where progress has been made towards achieving the long-term vision of the plan, but also highlights the serious challenges that still remain and which we are committed to addressing. Over the last 12 months we have continued to put the levers in place that will help us secure lasting change for the environment. We introduced our Environment Bill to Parliament which, along with our strengthened Agriculture and Fisheries Bills, sets a new legal foundation for government action to improve the environment. We also became the first major economy to legislate for net zero. Underlining our commitment to achieving this target, we launched a consultation on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles (including hybrids for the first time) to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible.

Overall, there is much more to do, both in our country, and with international partners, to halt and reverse the decline of nature and address climate change. These global challenges are inextricably linked, for it will be impossible to improve nature without stabilising the climate. Similarly, we cannot avert climate change, or build resilience to its impacts, without restoring nature. Recently, COVID-19 has had a profound and sudden impact across this country and the rest of the world, and our everyday lives have changed dramatically. Rightly, the priority for government is to limit the health and economic effects of the pandemic, thereby saving lives and livelihoods. As we prepare for recovery from the crisis, we will pursue a rebuilding of our economy and society in ways that are green, just and inclusive. The government’s environmental programme will play its full part in securing a sustainable and resilient recovery. At the same time, this will ensure that we also recover our precious natural environment and diverse ecosystems. Click here to read the report