Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide an annual assessment of the UK’s progress towards climate and nature targets.

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. In January 2025 we committed to publishing an annual climate and nature statement to parliament and the country.

In terms of frameworks already in place, under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Climate Change Committee provide an annual assessment on the UK government's progress towards meeting carbon budgets and a biennial assessment of progress to adapt to climate change. We are expecting the next progress reports in spring 2025 and the government will lay its responses in Parliament by 15 October 2025.

In accordance with the statutory requirements for progress reports under the Environment Act 2021, the Secretary of State must prepare annual reports on the implementation of the current environmental improvement plan. The next report covering the period to March 2025 is due to be published and laid in Parliament by July 2025.