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.
