An independent watchdog warns that England is facing a 'deeply concerning decline in biodiversity'.
By Malcolm PriorGovernment efforts to improve England's environment and to protect the natural world are falling "far short" of what is needed, a watchdog has warned.
"The situation is poor across the board, with adverse trends across marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments," it said. A spokesman for Defra said it would publish a new environmental improvement plan later this month that would help it to meet its targets to protect the natural world, tackle climate change and halt the decline in species populations by 2030.
The OEP - set up under the 2021 Environment Act to hold the government and other public bodies to account - said there had been "a frequent failure" by the government to meet its own legally-binding targets. "Progress on delivery of the 25 Year Environment Plan has fallen far short of what is needed to meet government's ambition to leave the environment in a better state for future generations," she said.
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