Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
First Report - Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust?
Environmental Audit Committee
HC 136
Published 30 June 2021
Government response
Third Special Report - Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust?: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report · published 30 Sep 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
30
Recommendation
Deferred
We recommend the Government commission a review of the operation of ‘perverse subsidies’ in the...
Recommendation
We recommend the Government commission a review of the operation of ‘perverse subsidies’ in the UK economy. This must entail the identification, assessment and tracking of public expenditure harmful to biodiversity, and the publication of data on the extent of …
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Government Response Summary
The government defers action, stating it will work with the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and review their recommendations and potential policy/regulatory responses when they are available, rather than commissioning its own review of perverse subsidies.
37
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 164
We welcome the Government’s pledge to protect 30 per cent of the UK’s land and...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s pledge to protect 30 per cent of the UK’s land and seas by 2030, but simply designating areas as protected is not enough. The UK’s protected areas are poorly managed. More focus must be given to …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need to improve protected area management and is developing a Nature Recovery Green Paper to address its 30x30 commitment and improve management, with a response to the Glover Review to be published later in the year.
38
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 165
The Government should not count its wins early: protected areas should only be reckoned to...
Recommendation
The Government should not count its wins early: protected areas should only be reckoned to contribute to the 30 by 30 pledge if they are effectively managed and improved. We recommend the Treasury ensure that all bodies involved in the …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of well-managed protected areas and states it is developing a Nature Recovery Green Paper, to be published later this year, which will set out its approach to achieving the 30x30 commitment and improving management of protected areas.
39
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 166
The Government should provide a full response to the Glover Review before the 2021 summer...
Recommendation
The Government should provide a full response to the Glover Review before the 2021 summer recess.
Government Response Summary
The government states it is carefully considering the Glover Review recommendations in the context of a wider Nature Recovery Green Paper, and its response will be published later this year, implying it will not meet the requested pre-summer recess deadline.
48
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 225
We welcome the Government’s ambition to create a national Nature Recovery Network but believe far...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s ambition to create a national Nature Recovery Network but believe far more detail is needed to translate this ambition into transformative action. The Nature Recovery Network (NRN) is contained in the 25 Year Environment Plan, but …
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Government Response Summary
The government plans to publish a Nature Recovery Green Paper later this year, which will outline its vision and initial policy proposals for public consultation, to inform future tangible changes.
49
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 226
To address these concerns we recommend that: a) Defra updates its Nature Recovery Network Policy...
Recommendation
To address these concerns we recommend that: a) Defra updates its Nature Recovery Network Policy Paper by the end of the year, explaining how LNRS will be co-ordinated into a national Nature Recovery Network and how local authorities should link …
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Government Response Summary
The government plans to publish a Nature Recovery Green Paper later this year, which will set out its vision and proposals for nature recovery and allow for public consultation, thereby deferring specific actions until after this process.
67
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 318
The Government should include a Net Zero test of the 2021 Budget in its Net...
Recommendation
The Government should include a Net Zero test of the 2021 Budget in its Net Zero Review. Net Zero tests should be refined for future fiscal events to assess the climate impacts of taxation, spending and resource decisions. The Government …
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Government Response Summary
The government states the Green Book already requires climate/environmental considerations and HM Treasury is reviewing how to better support environmental objectives, with more detail coming in the Net Zero Strategy. It does not commit to the specific Net Zero or nature tests for fiscal events or a new fiscal rule, but notes ongoing work with ONS/OBR on natural capital and participation in green budgeting initiatives.
69
Recommendation
Deferred
To provide the signals needed for the financial system to manage biodiversity risks, we recommend...
Recommendation
To provide the signals needed for the financial system to manage biodiversity risks, we recommend that: a) The Government commit to legislate for mandatory disclosure of nature-related financial risks once the TNFD framework is ready. b) The Government explore how …
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Government Response Summary
The government commits to working with the TNFD and will carefully review its recommendations and potential policy/regulatory responses once the framework is ready by late 2023, deferring a commitment to legislate for mandatory disclosure of nature-related financial risks. The response also broadly refers to existing efforts on corporate environmental disclosures and a UK green taxonomy, but does not commit to the other specific recommendations.