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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce legally binding biodiversity targets beyond those in the Environment Act 2021.

There are no plans to introduce legally binding biodiversity targets beyond those in the Environment Act 2021.This Government is committed to delivering the 13 legally binding environmental targets set under the Environment Act 2021, which include water, biodiversity, resource efficiency, marine protected areas, and tree and woodland cover.

The Government commissioned a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) to ensure the right policies are in place to deliver our targets. A statement of the rapid review’s key findings was published in January 2025. Later in 2025, we will publish a revised EIP, setting out important delivery information for the ambitious Environment Act targets.