The Government has published the first progress report reviewing its 25 Year Environment Plan for the period January 2018 to March 2019.

Launched in January 2018, the 25 Year Environment Plan sets out how the Government plans will improve the environment over a generation by creating richer habitats for wildlife, improving air and water quality and curbing the scourge of plastic in the world’s oceans.

According to the Environment Agency, the review indicating that, in the first year alone, 90% of the plan’s actions have been delivered or are being progressed.

Challenging to meet WFD requirements - in 2017 only 16% of English surface water bodies assessed were in high or good status

Looking at progress made the 25 Year Environment Plan committing to improve at least three quarters of our waters to be as close to their natural state as soon as practicable, mirroring the legal requirement under the Water Framework Directive to achieve that objective by 2027, the review says:

“This will be challenging to achieve. In 2017, 16% of English surface water bodies assessed under the Water Framework Directive were in a high or good status.”

Commenting on further action the Government plans to take on water, the review says:

We will continue to work with water companies as they finalise their water resource management plans to ensure that demand management targets remain ambitious and supply side options are considered. A consultation ended in March 2019 covering abstraction as well as consulting on potential legislative options to put regional water resource planning and drainage and wastewater management planning on a statutory footing.”

A public consultation on the next cycle of River Basin Management Plans, which set out the actions that all stakeholders will take to meet water quality ambition, will begin in October 2019.

Upcoming Government Policy Statement to set out plans to manage flooding and coastal erosion risks

We will publish a Government Policy Statement setting out plans to continue to manage the risk of flooding and costal erosion in the future. The Environment Agency published its updated Long Term Investment Strategy in February 2019, which will help inform the revised long-term National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy to be published later this year. This will set out how all partners will work together to make places, infrastructure and growth more resilient to our future climate.

Committed to plans for the first Environment Bill in 20 years

On broader environmental issues the review says that over the last 12 months, the government has:

• Set out plans to ban plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers and extend the 5p plastic bag charge, and overhauling our waste system with a comprehensive Resources and Waste Strategy.

• Laid an Agriculture Bill before Parliament to introduce a fairer, more sustainable system of environmental land management.

• Committed to plans for the first Environment Bill in 20 years

• Kick-started the creation of a Northern Forest and appointed a Tree Champion intended to safeguard forests and woodlands

• Protected wildlife habitats by launching a review to strengthen and enhance England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

• Protected the marine environment by launching the Fisheries Bill, introducing one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads and consulting on 41 new Marine Conservation Zones.

• Hosted the global Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

“Through our landmark 25 Year Environment Plan and upcoming Environment Bill, we are committed to bold action on tackling plastic waste, reforming farming, protecting our landscapes and boosting wildlife. While progress is encouraging, we know there is still more to do.”

The first progress report comes during the Year of Green Action, a year-long drive to get more people from all backgrounds involved in projects to improve the natural world.

A key part of the 25 year Environment Plan, the government has appointed 15 environmental ambassadors to inspire action across the UK, and is working in partnership with the #iwill campaign to champion the role of young people during the year.

Detailed new Outcome Indicator Framework published

The government has also published a new Outcome Indicator Framework for the 25 Year Environment Plan to monitor environmental progress. The framework contains 66 indicators, arranged into 10 broad themes. A sub-set of indicators have been identified as 16 headlines, groups of indicators which will help us communicate progress towards the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan.

However, the document emphasises the indicators within the framework are not targets, and they do not have specific end points, levels or trajectories attached to them. "They are a way to monitor the changes happening in the environment and they enable us to then ensure we are taking appropriate action." the framework says.

The big 'external drivers' of environmental change, such as the global economy and security; population growth and migration; emergent diseases, technological advances and climate change are also not included within the framework.

Plans are also underway to examine how new technologies could be used to identify gaps in environmental protection. Techniques such as satellite monitoring could show what crops are being grown and where habitats need protecting. Social media data could also be used to understand how people are interacting with their environment.

The government is currently preparing the first Environment Bill for 20 years which will place the 25 Year Environment Plan on a statutory footing and put environmental ambition and accountability at the heart of government.

Click here to download the Progress Report

Click here to download the Outcome Indicator Framework