Global Biodiversity Loss and National Security

Monday 23rd February 2026 Lords Chamber

Question

14:37

Asked by

[Earl Russell]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published on 20 January.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) (Lab)]

My Lords, nature underpins our security, prosperity and resilience, and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to address them effectively. This important assessment provides strategic analysis that is designed to help government plan for future risks that may arise. The UK is already taking comprehensive action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks, both at home and overseas. The findings in the report will support and inform that action.

[Earl Russell (LD)]

My Lords, a nature security assessment was initially withheld and then only partially released following an FoI request. Given the gravity of its findings for biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and our future national security, will the Government now publish the report in full? What policy responses are being developed as a result? Will Ministers engage in open dialogue, both at home and with allies, that recognises the interlinked climate and nature emergencies as essential to our natural security strategy and future prosperity?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

It is important to note that this is a strategic tool and not a prediction of future possibilities. The idea behind it is to help government plan for future shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation. The way it has been managed reflects standard national security planning for preparedness. On policies, we are taking comprehensive action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks, both at home and aboard, through various ways. Tree planting in England is at its highest rate, and we are restoring peatlands, improving water quality and protecting pollinators. We have introduced landmark legislation to protect our oceans. We are supporting food security with new technology and farming schemes that reward sustainable production, and we are also committed to providing international climate finance—I could go on. Maybe the noble Earl and I can pick this up in more detail after the Question.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

Does the Minister agree that farmers are probably best placed to regard the future of nature and to safeguard our biosecurity and ecosystem? Will she carefully consider the damage that could be done, particularly to livestock farmers, from some of the proposals in the animal welfare strategy, which I would be very happy to raise with her separately?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The proposals on farmed animals in the animal welfare strategy are designed not to harm farmers but to bring long-term improvements to animal welfare in relation to how our food is produced. Our intention is to work very closely with farmers and other relevant stakeholders so that the policies we introduce do not cause harm but support animal welfare.

[Baroness Boycott (CB)]

My Lords, on food security, as everyone in this House knows, there are severe floods across Somerset, Dorset, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and lots of growing areas. Compounding that, there are floods in Spain as well as Sicily. These are all areas where we get our fresh vegetables from, and these floods are damaging the crops for this year. We also know that there are going to be droughts after the wet weather. What are the Government doing to look, in the immediate future, at the food security situation, because many farmers cannot plant on land that is absolutely sodden with water?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is absolutely right that there has been terrible flooding. Much of the change in our weather systems is inevitably caused by climate change. We are working very hard to invest more, not just in flood defences but in natural flood management. Regarding sustainable food and food security, we are trying to better support farmers on food security in sustainable practices. The new SFI offering will look more at small farmers and sustainability in order that we prepare for the long term for exactly these kinds of outcomes.

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

My Lords, the Government sound very good on all these policies, but, in fact, they are not meeting their targets. They are not meeting their targets on tree-planting, marine protected areas or flooding. It is going to be a contest between which comes first—World War III or climate collapse. Do the Government agree?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

At least the noble Baroness thinks I sound good. The revised environmental improvement plan is designed to deliver everything the noble Baroness talked about. We are working very hard in Defra to ensure that it does.

[Lord Roborough (Con)]

My Lords, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures aims to bring nature into the core of business and financial decision-making, recognising that the health of our natural environment is crucial to the long-term health of our economy. What are His Majesty’s Government doing to accelerate adoption of TNFD reporting to incentivise better performance and thus encourage businesses to channel investment into nature recovery?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for mentioning the TNFD, because it is very important. We are continuing to fund the Green Finance Institute to progress market capacity building and uptake through the TNFD UK consultation group. That is evolving to include a pilot programme on integrated nature transition plans. Fifteen businesses are currently already signed up to that. We are also in the process of onshoring the International Sustainability Standards Board’s general sustainability and climate disclosure standards in the UK. That will draw on the work of the TNFD. We are looking at its imminent work on nature standard-setting. Once that direction of travel is clear, it can inform our future paths on policy and regulation.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, how will the Government’s strategy deal with the problem of pollution by farmers in our rivers?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

We are currently looking at that. We need to reduce the amount of run-off, for example, from farms, and we are looking at how best to work with farmers to improve the situation.

[Baroness Sheehan (LD)]

My Lords, the assessment is explicit that nature is a foundation of national security, yet independent analysis, not least by the Government’s own watchdog, the OEP, in its recent annual report, shows that the UK is not on track to meet its own nature recovery targets, thereby increasing domestic risk. How do the Government reconcile this security assessment with current trajectories on the Environment Act targets and land use policies?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

We are doing a number of pieces of work right across the department that will come together to try to have the outcomes that we want. It is important that the role that Defra plays in national security and resilience planning is better implemented and recognised across government. We are working really hard to do that, whether it is the work we are doing around flooding, with farmers, within biodiversity, on tree planting, or globally. There is a huge amount of work, and once that all comes together, we should see the results and outcomes of it.

[Baroness Fookes (Con)]

My Lords, I regard environmental horticulture as a vital stakeholder in all this. Does the noble Baroness agree, and if so, can she put some pressure on Defra to think the same way?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

First, I congratulate the noble Baroness on a significant birthday this weekend. Secondly, as she knows, I am a great supporter of horticulture; I have recently been speaking to the Farming Minister about it and will continue to do so.

[Lord West of Spithead (Lab)]

My Lords, 40% of our food comes from abroad. Should there be a World War III, the Royal Navy would be responsible, as in the past, for ensuring that that flow of food continued. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that we really need to get some haste in building the new frigates and getting a rolling programme going to ensure that we have security of our food supply?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I am starting to get a bit alarmed about the number of questions referring to World War III, but the noble Lord is right: food security is of critical importance. I am sure that right across every department we will do everything we can to ensure that, should World War III come anytime soon, we will have good food security in our country.

[Lord Grayling (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister is well aware of the challenge that we face around our marine biodiversity. One thing we have been able to do since we left the European Union is improve some of the protections, particularly around marine protected areas. What steps are she and Defra taking to ensure that the Government’s reset with the European Union does not end up compromising those standards and taking us back to where we were before?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I am sure the noble Lord will appreciate that I cannot comment on the ongoing discussions that are taking place with the EU regarding the reset. However, we have been discussing with the EU the importance of not reducing any of our current standards.