Select committee: Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 30
Second Report - The UK's footprint on global biodiversity
Published 30 Sep 2021
Paragraph 135
Environmental Audit Committee Biodiversity and Ecosystems All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
In promoting a transformative Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, we recommend that the UK Government advocate: • A strengthening of the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework’s 2030 mission to align with the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature and G7 2030 Nature Compact to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. • A more ambitious, SMARTer species goal (Goal A) which commits to stopping human-induced extinctions. • Inclusion of reference to nature-based solutions in Target 8, so that the UNFCCC and UNCBD processes can be better linked. • Stronger wording on the need to reduce unsustainable consumption and production patterns amongst developed countries. • An ambitious Paris-style review mechanism for biodiversity, which encourages Parties to ‘ratchet’ the level of ambition of their National Targets at regular review intervals. • A dedicated financial mechanism for the UNCBD.
From: Environmental Audit Committee, Second Report - The UK's footprint on global biodiversity (HC 674), paragraph 135, 30 September 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 February 2022 (deadline 30 November 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out domestic and international action on biodiversity, agreeing with some recommendations, such as support for a more ambitious species goal, while disagreeing with others.
- On a footprint target, the government says it will not consider setting one "until it can be certain that it would be supported by a robust evidence base" and avoids unintended consequences. It anticipates the new overseas-impact indicator will appear in the next (2022) framework update.
- On taxation, it agrees it is important to consider environmental impacts of relevant tax changes, but says it does "not agree with the Committee's specific recommendation" to assess every change, citing practicality and cost.
- On forest-risk commodities, it points to Environment Act due diligence rules on illegally occupied land and to other disclosure measures, rather than a wider ban covering the finance sector.
- On public procurement, it has "committed to a consultation on strengthening the GBSF in early 2022", and says it will take the Committee's recommendation on clear definitions into account in a review.