I am repeating the statement made by my noble Friend the Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, Lord Benyon, on Friday 16 December.
Final Environmental Targets under the Environment Act 2021
This Government are committed to leaving the environment in a better state than we found it. Following our consultation earlier in the year, we are confirming an ambitious suite of targets to deliver on that commitment.
These targets will tackle some of the biggest pressures facing our environment. They will ensure progress on clean air, clean and plentiful water, less waste and more sustainable use of our resources, a step change in tree planting, a better marine environment, and a more diverse, resilient natural environment.
The 13 targets that will be laid through statutory instruments are as follows:
Biodiversity on land
To halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.
To ensure that species abundance in 2042 is greater than in 2022, and at least 10% greater than 2030.
Improve the red list index for England for species extinction risk by 2042, compared to 2022 levels.
To restore or create in excess of 500,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites by 2042, compared to 2022 levels.
Biodiversity in the sea
70% of the designated features in the marine protected area network to be in favourable condition by 2042, with the remainder in recovering condition.
Water quality and availability
Abandoned metal mines target: halve the length of rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned mines by 2038, against a baseline of around 1,500 km.
Agriculture target: reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture into the water environment by at least 40% by 2038, compared to a 2018 baseline.
Wastewater target: reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80% by 2038 against a 2020 baseline.
Water demand target: reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% from the 2019-20 baseline reporting year figures, by 2037-38.
Woodland cover
Increase total tree and woodland cover from 14.5% of land area now to 16.5% by 2050.
Resource efficiency and waste reduction
Reduce residual waste—excluding major mineral wastes—kilograms per capita by 50% by 2042 from 2019 levels.