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 set targets in the updated Environmental Improvement Plan for the biodiversity recovery of (a) wetlands, (b) peat bogs (c) coastal strips, (d) grasslands, (e) woodlands and forests and (f) other significant habitats.

The Government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025.

Later in 2025 we will publish a revised EIP, to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet the ambitious Environment Act targets. It will be a clearer, prioritised plan for achieving environmental outcomes such as reducing waste across the economy, planting more trees, improving air quality and halting the decline in species.

We have legally binding targets have been carefully designed to enable biodiversity recovery. These are:

• Halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, and then increase abundance by at least 10% to exceed 2022 levels by 2042.
• Restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042, - alongside our international commitment to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030.
• Increase tree canopy and woodland cover from 14.5% to 16.5% of total land area in England by 2050, and
• For 70% of designated features in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to be in favourable condition by 2042 with the remainder in recovering condition.