Progress towards improving the environment has slowed with government still largely off track in achieving its legal environmental commitments, the latest annual assessment by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found.

The OEP report provides an assessment of progress towards legally-binding environment targets, commitments and goals. The report covers the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Most progress has been made on reducing some environmental pressures – such as emissions of some air pollutants, greenhouse gases and chemical pollutants. Although there are signs that the downward trend in species abundance is slowing, wider biodiversity trends continue to get worse as does the marine environment.

Photo credit: Markus Spiske

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.

The OEP has called for water companies to be unleased as “primary and major investors in environmental recovery”, for example by mandating the use of nature-based solutions in the industry for management of flooding and pollution.

The report also warns that unless things change materially, key targets, such as the 30 by 30 target for land and sea will not be met.

The full report from the OEP can be found online.