Legal targets on air pollution and the abundance of wild species are among a series of proposed green goals being set out by the Government on Wednesday. Ministers are publishing proposals for legally-binding targets for air quality, water, wildlife, waste reduction and resource efficiency, as part of obligations under the post-Brexit Environment Act.
They will include targets for annual average concentrations of dangerous air pollutant PM2.5 and annual targets for species abundance, and will be put out to an eight-week consultation. The Government is also setting out proposals for nature recovery, with a green paper that includes plans to create a system of proposed new classifications for habitats that it says will reflect the latest science and priorities for species and habitats.
The UK has been described as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and the Government has committed to protect 30% of the nation’s land by 2030 to support the recovery of wildlife. But conservationists warn much of the existing protected areas are national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) which do not necessarily deliver for nature, while many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are not in a good condition and the network of sites is not complete.
The Wildlife Trusts have called for a new “wildbelt” designation in England to protect land that is being restored for nature, so efforts to create or restore natural habitat or rewild an area are secure from future changes to land use. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “We are setting out today a new approach to restoring our natural world, including improved protections for habitats and new long-term legally binding environment targets.
“EU directives have not done enough to halt the decline of nature. They have led to our experts being stewards for a process, rather than stewards of the environment. We now have the freedom to do things better,” she added.
Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “This is Boris Johnson’s chance to confirm robust plans that will deliver on the Government’s promise to fully or highly protect at least 30% of England’s land and seas by 2030, and to take truly radical action to stem the torrent of plastic entering our natural world. These announcements must include solid targets to reduce single-use plastic by 50% by 2025 and ban industrial fishing in the UK’s marine-protected areas as a matter of urgency.”
The National Trust warned the measures being outlined were not set to include commitments to improve the condition of protected sites on land. A spokesperson said: “These sites are the cornerstones of nature’s recovery and their health and good condition is imperative if they are to adapt to climate change. What’s more, Government’s own commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 is at serious risk if these sites are left to languish.”
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