Environmental Improvement Plan 2023

February 2023

Introduction

The Government has set out its roadmap to create new wildlife habitats, restore nature and improve environmental quality by publishing its Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, which was published on 31January 2023 The plan revises the 25-year Environmental Plan (published 11January 2018) with new powers and duties from the Environment Act, Agricultural Act and Fisheries Act. It sets out how the Government will work with landowners, communities, and businesses to meet its environmental goals and help to restore nature, reduce environmental pollution, and increase the UK’s prosperity. The plan will be further reviewed in 2028.

The Environmental Improvement Plan 2023

The 262 page document can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmentalimprovement-plan The plan lists ten goals, which are:

• Thriving plants and wildlife.

• Clean air.

• Clean and plentiful water.

• Managing exposure to chemicals and pesticides.

• Maximise our resources, minimise our waste.

• Using resources from nature sustainably.

• Mitigating and adapting to climate change.

• Reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards.

• Enhancing biosecurity.

• Enhancing beauty, heritage, and engagement with the natural environment.

Impacts for Farmers and Growers

Nature

• Create and restore at least 500,000 hectares of new wildlife habitats, starting with 70 new wildlife projects including 25 new or expanded National Nature Reserves and 19 further Nature Recovery Projects.

• Enable 65 to 80% of landowners and farmers to adopt nature friendly farming practices on at least 10 to 15% of their land by 2030. They will also be supported to create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows a year by 2037 and 45,000 miles of hedgerows a year by 2050.

• Launch of a multi-million pound Species Survival Fund to protect the rarest species - from hedgehogs to red squirrels - and support the 2030 species abundance target.

Water

• Restore 400 miles of river through the first round of Landscape Recovery projects and establishing 3,000 hectares of new woodlands along England’s rivers.

• Tackle nutrient pollution, including by upgrading 160 wastewater treatment works by 2027 and providing increased advice and incentives to support sustainable agricultural techniques.

• Better integrate water and flood policy, for example by reforming river basin management plans and flood risk management plans to maximise the multiple benefits.

• Deliver an investment plan to improve coastal and flood defences, including £100 million on the most frequently flooded areas.

Air

• Reward farmers for actions to reduce risks and impacts from floods, droughts, and wildfires through our new future farming schemes.

• Reduce ammonia emissions by using incentives in our new farming schemes, investing £13 million in slurry storage infrastructure in 2023 and considering expanding environmental permitting conditions to dairy and intensive beef farms.

Soil

• Bring 40% of England's agricultural soil into sustainable management by 2028 and up to 60% by 2030.

• Establish a soil health indicator, publish a baseline map of soil health, support farmers to establish their own soil health baseline, provide a methodology for collecting soil health information, and share guidance and best practice.

Lowland peat

• Launch a £6.6 million lowland peat research and development programme and develop new farming scheme options to support the restoration of lowland peat and wetter farming methods.

Pesticides

• Help farmers transition to Integrated Pest Management with investment and advice, utilising nature to tackle pests and reducing reliance on manufactured pesticides.

Waste

• Introduce new interim targets for 2028 to reduce different types of waste, including plastic, glass, metal, paper, and food.

• Work with business to implement packaging extended producer responsibility from 2024 to enable recycling of packaging.

Supply chains

• Implement due diligence requirements set out in the Environment Act 2021 to tackle illegal deforestation in our supply chains.

Climate change

• Update on progress and plans to reach net zero.

• Publish a Land Use Framework in 2023, setting out how to balance multiple demands on our land including climate mitigation and adaptation.

• Publish the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) in 2023 that will set out the five-year strategy to build the UK’s climate resilience.

Access and protected landscapes

• Fulfil a new commitment that everyone should live within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space.

• Extend the delivery of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme until 2025 (see separate briefing).