Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered the potential implications for her policies of research by (a) York University entitled Global Footprint Network: Explore Data, (b) Bioregional entitled The social shortfall and ecological overshoot of nations, (c) Cambridge University Press entitled Degrowth: a path to transformative solutions for socio-ecological sustainability and (d) Science Direct entitled Global Patterns of Ecologically Unequal Exchange on economic growth in the UK and resource consumption.

The Government agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that nature, and the biodiversity that underpins it, sustains our economies, livelihoods and wellbeing. It is therefore committed to integrating nature into economic and financial decision-making, and the institutions and systems that underpin it.

As set out at Spending Review 2025, the Government is investing more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This will boost productivity and protect the natural ecosystems underpinning food production, which will support food and economic security.

The Treasury also continues to make progress and explore ways to strengthen processes for assessing the climate and environmental impacts of fiscal decisions and improve the Green Book in line with emerging evidence and best practice. For example, building on the extensive guidance already provided for evaluating and monetising natural capital impacts, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published updated supplementary guidance to the Green Book on Enabling a Natural Capital Approach, including additional guidance on valuing biodiversity.