Environmental Improvement Plan and Office for Environmental Protection Progress Reports
House of Commons · Written Statements · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 speech · Official Report
Over the last year we have taken significant action on nature recovery. In December 2025 we launched our revised environmental improvement plan to restore nature, move to a more circular economy and protect our environmental security. We know the scale of the challenge, and we are matching our ambition with action. Today I am laying our annual progress report in delivering the EIP over the reporting period April 2025 to March 2026, as required by section 9 of the Environment Act 2021. This includes progress towards achieving Environment Act targets, and the latest evidence of changes in the natural environment. We have progressed a broad and ambitious programme of reform, investment and delivery over the reporting period. This includes: publication of the land use framework to transform decision making so that we use land more effectively securing over £7 billion for nature recovery through the farming budget, the largest investment into nature in history. setting a new vision for water and plan to reform our water sector and the wider water system through the water White Paper quadrupling water company investment under “Price Review 2024”, to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas announcing a ban on wet wipes containing plastics publication of the UK’s first ever perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances plan committing £1.1 billion to improve local recycling services across England, enhancing waste management and community outcomes publication of the good food cycle...