Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Paragraph: 20
The potential consequences of biodiversity loss for human populations have for too long been overlooked.
Conclusion
The potential consequences of biodiversity loss for human populations have for too long been overlooked. It is vital that nature recovery is also prioritised in our economic recovery efforts alongside action on climate change. If measures to promote economic recovery are not treated as an opportunity to ‘grow back better’, then the global collapse in biodiversity, together with the impacts of pollution and climate change, may, if left unchecked, result in an even more catastrophic crisis.
Paragraph Reference:
20
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government set out in its recent Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy that tackling climate change and biodiversity loss will be the UK’s international priority through 2021 and beyond. This will include investing in nature and a ‘nature positive’ economy, and integrating biodiversity into economic decision-making in response to the findings of the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity. The Government will also increase finance for nature and for nature-based solutions to climate change, including by spending at least £3 billion of International Climate Finance (ICF) on nature over the next five years, and supporting the protection and restoration of critical habitats, including through the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund and Blue Planet Fund. We will use the UK presidencies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and G7, alongside other critical 2021 events such as the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, to support the delivery of HMG’s International Nature Strategy. We intend to use our G7 Presidency to work with our G7 partners, to drive action to benefit nature via discussions across multiple ministerial tracks. The COP26 nature campaign will put nature at the heart of global action on climate change, mobilise greater public and private finance for nature, and tackle the drivers of destruction, by focusing on two areas of long term global action: (i) Global Agriculture Reform & Support for Sustainable Land Use and (ii) Global Action on Forests & Critical Ecosystems for Climate and People. We are also prioritising nature recovery domestically. Published in January 2018, the 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our comprehensive and long-term approach to protecting and enhancing our natural environment for the next generation. Since publishing the 25 Year Environment Plan, we have committed to protecting 30% of land in the UK for nature by 2030. In England, we will extend our protected areas, or identify other effective area-based conservation measures, to a total of over 400,000 hectares. Meeting the target requires that we extend our protected areas and ensure they are managed effectively to drive up their value for nature. The 25 Year Environment Plan further committed to exploring how to put in place up to 25 new catchment or landscape scale nature recovery areas to significantly expand wildlife habitat. To support the delivery of our pledge to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030 and the establishment of nature recovery areas, we have committed to launching 10 Landscape Recovery projects between 2022 and 2024. These will be long-term, land use change projects, including projects to restore wilder landscapes in places where that’s appropriate. Landscape Recovery is one of three future schemes that we are introducing which reward the delivery of environmental benefits. These are the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Local Nature Recovery scheme and the Landscape Recovery scheme. These schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices, improve animal health and welfare, reduce carbon emissions, create nature recovery habitats, and make landscape- scale environmental changes. This is an important step towards achieving our 25 Year Environment Plan ambitions and our carbon net zero goals. Through the three schemes, farmers and other land managers may enter into agreements to be paid for delivering the following public goods: • Clean and plentiful water • Clean air • Thriving plants and wildlife • Reduction in and protection from environmental hazards • Adaptation to and mitigation of climate change • Beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment Other funding streams are also supporting nature recovery including the £80m Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Furthermore, the Environment Bill introduces a powerful package of new policies and tools for nature. Legally binding environmental targets, biodiversity net gain, Local Nature Recover Strategies, conservation covenants and a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities will work together to drive action, including to create or restore rich habitats that enable wildlife to recover and thrive.