This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament

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Petition Habitat Protection - Public inquiry and reform of protections

We need the Government to hold a public inquiry into why so many native species are struggling to survive and why so many are on the verge of extinction, which should result in reform of environmental laws and the Government’s approach to protecting biodiversity.

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Research has found that one in seven species in the UK face extinction, and over 40% of species have experienced decline since 1970.

A full public inquiry could establish the extent to which current laws provide adequate protections for UK species, and the effectiveness of Natural England and Defra, and whether any reforms to current laws and the Government’s wider approach to protecting biodiversity are needed.

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UK biodiversity report published by MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee

The Environmental Audit Committee has published its report on 'Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust', which calls for the Government to conserve and restore UK biodiversity and ecosystems.
 
The report is published amid grave concern that of the G7 countries, the UK has the lowest level of biodiversity remaining.
 
The MPs on the Committee found that existing Government policy and targets were inadequate to address plummeting biodiversity loss. This is made worse by nature policy not being joined up across Government, nor is nature protection consistently factored into policy making.
 
Some key recommendations made by the Committee include:
- The Government must establish a timetable to put management plans and monitoring in place for all Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), with different categories of destructive bottom trawling banned or restricted. More MPAs should be established as 'no-take' zones
- In the next Spending Review, greater funding must be given to Natural England which reflects its responsibilities and tasks.
- The Government should commission a review identifying and tracking public expenditure harmful to biodiversity. Once identified, Ministers must act to remove harmful subsidies and re-direct money to nature conservation and recovery.
- Tree planting should not occur on peat soils
Education on biodiversity must increase: a Natural History GCSE should be introduced and investment in skills should be increased for chartered ecology and associated disciplines.
 
Read an interactive summary of the report:
https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/uk-biodiversity-bloom-or-bust/index.html
 

What happens next?

The Government now must respond to the Committee's report, which was published on 30 June 2021, within two months. The Committee will publish the Government’s response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/
 

What is the Environmental Audit Committee?

The Environmental Audit Committee is a cross-party group of non-Government MPs who look into how Government policies and departments contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.
  
Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work:
https://twitter.com/CommonsEAC
 
The Environmental Audit Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c

Government respond to report on prioritising the climate and nature in post-covid recovery

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) published the Government's response to their report, "Growing back better: putting nature and net zero at the heart of the economic recovery."

In its report the EAC put forward a number of recommendations stressing the need for the economic recovery from covid-19 to be addressed in tandem with prioritising environmental priorities on climate change and nature recovery.

In a response to the report, the Government confirmed that the National Infrastructure Bank—set up to finance infrastructure projects across the UK—will be a public institution on a permanent basis. They have committed to reviewing the case for broadening the Bank’s mandate to include improving the UK’s natural capital, before bringing forward legislation to put the Bank on a statutory footing.

The Government response includes responses to the Committee’s recommendations on:

  • Transport infrastructure and nature recovery 
  • Homes and energy efficiency
  • Industry, particularly carbon border adjustments
  • Investment in nature
  • VAT reductions
  • Green finance

Read a summary of the Government response:
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/306/greening-the-postcovid-recovery/news/156038/government-accepts-eac-recommendation-for-national-infrastructure-bank-to-be-permanent-with-possible-future-focus-on-nature-recovery/

Read the full Government response:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmenvaud/327/32702.htm

Read the Committee's report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmenvaud/347/34702.htm

What is the Environmental Audit Committee?

The Environmental Audit Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who look into how Government policies and departments contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development. The Committee is independent of the Government.

Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work:
https://twitter.com/CommonsEAC

The Environmental Audit Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c