Government remains off track to meet its environmental commitments and its actions now will determine whether or not key targets for biodiversity and the protection of land and sea by 2030 will be met, says the latest progress report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).
The OEP has today (13 January, 2026) published its fourth statutory report on government’s progress in delivering its Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), covering the 12 months up to the end of March 2025.
Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP, said: “Our report comes at a time when government is focused on economic growth. Nature has a role to play here, an important role. It is not a blocker to growth, but it enables, drives and protects economic growth.
“Nature’s recovery is a pre-requisite of prosperity, health and well-being. Recent analyses, led by the Cabinet Office, of the chronic risks facing this country are sobering. They talk of accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution having cascading, compounding impacts, which will amplify threats to national and international security, the economy and communities.
“It is in that context we provide this latest annual assessment of how government is working towards improving the natural environment, and so towards a more prosperous and more secure future.
“We have previously called for government to speed up and scale up its efforts if it is to achieve its environmental ambitions and commitments, and we renew that call now. While we have seen more progress in this year than in the previous reporting period, it was not the step change needed.
“Government remains largely off track to meet its environmental targets and obligations, including legally binding biodiversity targets set under the Environment Act and the UK’s twin 30 by 30 commitments both for protected areas and for restoring degraded ecosystems.
“The government must now decide whether or not it is going to meet those targets. What happens now matters.”
Revised EIP
Government published a revised EIP last month (December 2025). That was too late for the OEP to consider it as part of this reporting cycle. Our initial assessment of the revised EIP25 is published alongside this progress report.
“Our initial view is that much of the formal advice we provided for the review of the EIP has been taken on board,” added Dame Glenys. “The new EIP25 is a more coherent plan and offers more transparency and an increased focus in delivery.
“Delivering all that is planned would improve substantially the chances of government achieving its environmental ambitions.
“However, there are places where EIP25 could be stronger still. Some commitments remain broad statements of intent. There are gaps in the plans to monitor progress. Resources, particularly for higher tier agri-environment schemes such as Landscape Recovery, appear as stretched as ever.
“Alongside the new EIP, government continues to work on a long-awaited Land Use Framework, a new Farming Roadmap, Food Strategy, Circular Economy Strategy and a UK Marine Strategy, all alongside significant planning and water sector reform.
“There is now a real opportunity for all of these reforms to complement the revised EIP, to provide coherence from the strategic policy level through to local decision making. As we have long said, the most important thing now is effective delivery of the plan.”
Summary of progress report findings
Progress in the reporting period
Of 43 individual targets and commitments assessed, good progress has been made towards 12, mixed progress towards 19, and limited progress towards 12.
Of these 43 targets and commitments, 13 are set under the Environment Act 2021 (EA21 targets). For these 13, our assessment is that good progress has been made over the annual reporting period towards four, mixed progress towards seven and limited progress towards two. There was good progress in creating and restoring wildlife-rich habitat and in reducing phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater. There was limited progress in improving the condition of Marine Protected Areas and in reducing residual waste.
When compared to our 2023/2024 progress report, a higher proportion of targets and commitments show good progress and a lower proportion show limited progress. In summarising progress at the level of the ten goal areas of the EIP23, we conclude that progress was mixed in eight goal areas and for climate change mitigation and limited in one and for climate change adaptation.
When compared to our last progress report on 2023/2024, there is improvement in relation to the goal areas of clean air, and managing exposure to chemicals and pesticides, and to climate change mitigation, where our assessment of progress has moved from limited to mixed.
Clean air showed more progress due to positive steps to reduce vehicle emissions such as reinstating the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars and increased funding for active travel. Chemicals showed more progress due to actions to eliminate the use of PCB’s and other specific chemicals.
Environmental trends
Our assessment of 59 recent trends shows that 24 are improving, 11 are static, 16 are deteriorating and eight were not assessed due to data availability. These proportions are broadly similar to last year.
In summarising trends at the level of the 10 goal areas of the EIP23, we conclude that improving trends dominate in two goal areas (clean air and climate mitigation), deteriorating trends dominate in three goal areas (reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards, enhancing biosecurity, and enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment) and for the other five goal areas and for climate change adaptation, trends are mixed.
When compared to our 2023/2024 progress report, the two goal areas of reduced risk of harm from natural hazards, and enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment have fallen back from showing mixed trends to deteriorating trends dominating.
The estimated number of properties at risk of surface water flooding has increased along with a decrease in the condition of flood or coastal risk management assets. Wildfire incidents continue to increase. Engagement with nature amongst adults and children has decreased and is very low compared to other countries. This is particularly concerning given the current crisis in childhood vulnerability, and the importance of a connection with nature for a strong start in life.
Overall prospects
Our assessment of the prospects of meeting 43 individual targets and commitments is that government is largely on track towards meeting five, partially on track towards meeting 16, and largely off track towards meeting 21, while the prospects of meeting one target could not be assessed due to a lack of sufficient evidence. For the 13 EA21 targets, our assessment is that the government is largely on track for meeting three, partially on track for five and largely off track for five.
When compared to our 2023/2024 progress report, a slightly lower proportion of targets and commitments are considered largely on track and a slightly higher proportion largely off track.
In summarising progress at the level of the ten goal areas of the EIP23, we conclude that in three goal areas government is partially on track, and in seven government is largely off track. Compared with our 2023/2024 progress report, our assessment ratings have not changed.
Recommendations
Our eight key recommendations in our 2023/2024 progress report reflected our advice on revision of the EIP and focused on priority areas for action. We restate those recommendations this year, as the main barriers and opportunities remain the same.
They are:
- Get nature-friendly farming right
- Maximise the contribution of protected sites for nature
- Speed up action in the marine environment
- Set out clear mechanisms for reconciling competing demands for land and sea
- Develop a circular economy framework
They also include three cross-cutting areas aimed at securing effective implementation of the EIP:
- Mobilise investment at the scale needed
- Regulate more effectively
- Harness the support needed.
The full report and a briefing note on our initial assessment of the revised EIP can be found here: Progress in improving the natural environment in England 2024/2025 | Office for Environmental Protection
