Bob Earll: The new Natural Capital Committee have been tasked to start work on this and news on this should be emerging shortly. I’d always though 25 year plans were the work of big state sponsored communism but apparently not. This will be a very strange beast and will no doubt pose a wide range of challenges to many organisations working in the marine and water sectors, as well as the wider environmental and nature conservation interests. The Link thinking below is intended to help you prepare although given the bias of economists on the NCC expect to be surprised. I wonder whether the NCC / Defra will see fit for there to be an engagement process or whether it will simply be imposed from on high.

This text is based on Paul Wilkinson Chair of Wildlife & Countryside Link’s 25 Year Plan Working Group – A blog from last year

‘The Government, is developing it’s 25 year Plan for the Environment (in England). This is a key commitment in the Conservative Party manifesto. The Environment Secretary, Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP has stated that she wants the best natural environment anywhere. I for one applaud this ambition, which is a great starting place for translating words into action in the form of the Plan.

As members of Wildlife and Countryside Link, we have already provided some initial ideas to the Government about what we believe should underpin the Plan. Over the next few weeks, we will elaborate further on these initial thoughts, through a series of blogs, to help stimulate a discussion about the Plan, what it should contain and what it should help to achieve. We stand ready, and are keen, to help.’

ClientEarth Blog on the Defra 25 year plan – Let’s embrace the many values of nature in the UK’s 25 Year Plan

By Tom West Blog, ClientEarth / March 24, 2016

The UK government has been laying the foundations for a new 25 year plan for the environment and will be making them public soon. The plan will be a key reference point for how we think about nature – including through economic valuation – and how that will influence big decisions. ClientEarth wants to see clear evidence of an approach that will restore and enhance nature.

To do this, the plan needs to recognise that nature has many different values and integrate them all into decision-making in every government department. The plan also needs to ensure the private sector factors environmental interactions into their decision-making too. To read more click here