Found: the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales, and the Joint Nature

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take with the devolved Administrations to integrate (i) climate and (ii) nature plans.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ works closely with the Devolved Administrations on climate and net zero issues, including through the Interministerial Group for Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change which supports effective engagement and collaboration in areas of shared interest between the UK administrations. The group last met on 13 March.

Many UK Government departments play a vital role in delivering carbon budgets, with DEFRA ensuring that nature-based solutions are a core part of Government action to tackle climate change. Integration of climate and nature plans is a matter for my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take with the devolved Administrations to improve coordination of efforts towards achieving the UK's international (i) climate and (ii) biodiversity obligations.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ works closely with the devolved administrations (DAs) on international climate obligations and reporting to the UNFCCC. DESNZ worked with the DAs on the development of the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and this year will be seeking their views for the 2035 NDC. This reflects the role the DAs play in the UK-wide drive to decarbonise the economy. DESNZ accredited 20 delegates from DAs to attend COP28 and will accredit DAs delegates to attend COP29.

Through the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which advises UK-wide and international nature conservation, the four nations will coordinate to further our ambitious biodiversity agenda.

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 an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations in the report entitled Creating a nature-rich UK: Unleashing the potential of nature-based solutions, published by Zero Hour on 13 September 2023.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is already carrying out a programme of large-scale habitat creation and restoration to implement nature-based solutions. Taking actions for nature, including protecting our land and species, is also a core part of our third National Adaptation Programme.

Through the Environment Act 2021, we have committed to the legally binding targets of creating or restoring more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside of protected sites by 2042 and increasing the tree canopy and woodland cover of England to 16.5% by 2050.  We have also made a number of further commitments in the Environmental Improvement Plan, including restoring approximately 280,000 hectares of peatland in England by 2050 and encouraging and supporting increased agroforestry with an aim to increase silvo-arable agroforestry to 10% of all arable land by 2050.

We are providing significant funding in this area. Our transformational, £675m, Nature for Climate Fund has supported tree planting to reach the decade’s highest levels, with more than 15 million trees planted in England during this Parliament. In February we awarded £25 million funding to 40 schemes around England for improving flood resilience through a new natural flood management programme.

The Government has guaranteed an average annual budget of £2.4 billion for the farming sector for the life of this Parliament. Our reforms require specific actions to be taken that enhance the environment and protect food production. This includes paying farmers to restore valuable habitats such as lowland peat and to engage in sustainable agroforestry and wetland management, which will support adaptation to climate change.

Found: Amendment of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 200418.  

Found: nature strategy 3 Public involvement 4 Duties of the Committee on Climate Change and the Joint Nature

Found: Nature conservation, landscape, heritage and protected species and habitat designations We have checked

Found: early (in confidence if necessary) discussions with affected statutory bodies, such as the statutory nature

Found: Local sites link and support EU and national nature conservation sites together and hence help to maintain

Found: conservation, landscape, heritage and protected species and habitat designations We have checked

Found: Nature conservation, landscape, heritage and protected species and habitat designations We have checked

Found: Notify/consult where the circumstances test in column 2 of Schedule 1 is met. 20 The Joint Nature

Found: From: Joint Nature Conservation Committee Published 16 May 2024 Get emails about this page

Found: issue to was to consider the delivery of forestry policy and woodland creation ambitions against the nature

Found: They do not necessarily have any nature conservation importance, but provide opportunities for recreation

Found: The closest site is the East of Gannet and Montrose Fields Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area

Found: The Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain Nature Conservation and Marine Protected Area lies 5km to the North

Found: arable and grassland with 59ha Site of Special Scientific Interest chalk downland and 23ha Site of Nature

Found: Amendment of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 200418.