Recommendation 35

The apparent lack of leadership and coordination on environmental tax measures, mirrors findings in our recent reports examining how the government is organised to deliver environmental goals. In our February 2021 report, Achieving government’s long- term environmental goals, we found that Defra had not shown that it had the clout to lead the rest of government.73 While in our March 2021 report, Achieving Net Zero, we found that government did not have a coordinated plan for net zero by 2050 despite setting the target almost two years ago.74 66 Q 54 67 Qq 24, 54 68 Qq 21–22; C&AG’s Report, para 13 69 C&AG’s Report, para 13; Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Environment Agency, HM Revenue & Customs, National Crime Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Press release, Clock is ticking for waste criminals as new taskforce launched, January 2020 70 C&AG’s Report, para 1.28, Figure 8 71 Ev 4, Mineral Products Association, para 15 72 Qq 69–70 73 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals, Fortieth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 927, February 2021, page 3 74 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, Achieving Net Zero, Forty-Sixth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 935, March 2021, page 3 Environmental tax measures 17