- New tracker on policy progress towards global biodiversity targets agreed at COP15 in 2022 shows English action in many areas is stalling or even went backwards in the past 2 years
- UK and countries around the world called on to rapidly publish clear plans on how they intend to meet nature targets
- England not ‘in the green’ on any target – with the new Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) review a major opportunity to turn nature’s fortunes around and to show world leading action
- Nature groups urging UK Government to show willingness to host COP17 talks in 2026
With the doors soon to open at COP16, nature groups are warning in a new progress tracker that inadequate action from the previous Government has left England off-track on meeting global biodiversity commitments. Out of 26 rankings England is judged to be ‘in the red’ on more than half (14 of the 26), with policies currently expected to be inadequate to meet targets in all areas. This leaves a major inherited challenge for the Government, which requires swift action to avoid failure on key 2030 international nature commitments.
The progress tracker contains 26 rankings on action towards 23 Biodiversity Plan targets agreed at Montreal, these show that:
– 2 target rankings are in “dark red” due to backwards progress
– 12 are in “red” with no progress made
– 12 are in “yellow” with limited progress made
*Please note, some targets are not included in the above numbers
Of particular concern are two targets where policy in England was judged to have gone backwards in the run up to the General Election in July. Action to minimise the impact of climate change on nature is marked “dark red.” Reasons include the Climate Change Committee confirming that only a third of UK emissions reductions required to meet the 2030 target were covered by credible plans. In addition, for the second time in two years, the High Court ruled in May 2024 that the Government would have to redraft its net zero strategy because its existing plan did not provide enough detail about how future targets could be met. Nature groups are calling for more wide-ranging and ambitious policies including: placing the Government’s commitment to ‘no new oil and gas licences’ in the statute book; more ambitious targets for protecting Marine Protected Areas; and more funding for landscape scale natural solutions such as nature-friendly farming and large-scale woodland creation post-2025.
The report also rated action to reduce chemical pollution in the dark red due to the current weak regulation around PFAS forever chemicals and other harmful substances, which are polluting our environment, our wildlife, our food and even our bodies. The previous Government failed to deliver a UK Chemicals Strategy (first promised in 2018). And while the new Government is exploring chemical policy as part of its EIP review, the UK continues to fall behind the EU and other nations on bans and wider protections around chemicals that are hazardous to people and wildlife.
The Government’s welcome review of the Environmental Improvement Plan is a key opportunity to get nature action back on track, with engagement already underway. Nature groups are calling for the new plan to set clear, measurable science-based actions to restore nature, particularly given that previous National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans to meet COP commitments have been vague. Committing on the world stage at COP16 to urgently unveil this plan would set a clear example to other countries that the UK is serious about being a world leader on environmental restoration.
Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “The last global target to save nature was a spectacular failure because countries didn’t follow through with national action. A whole decade was lost, and more species were pushed toward extinction. The Global Biodiversity Framework is a second chance, but so far the UK has come nowhere close to the reform and investment needed to turn round wildlife decline.
“The new Government still has time to show that the UK is true to its word for wildlife on the world stage. The UK should accelerate nature-friendly farming, use planning reforms to protect 30% of the land and sea for nature, and set tough new regulations to ensure the private sector helps pay for nature recovery. With a strong new Environmental Improvement Plan in hand, UK Ministers can step back into a leading role in protecting our planet.”
Katie-jo Luxton, Global Conservation Director of the RSPB, said: “This lack of progress towards vital global nature targets in England should be ringing alarm bells. COP16 is a crucial opportunity for the UK Government to show genuine nature and climate leadership on the global stage. This means committing to urgently publish detailed, ambitious action plans outlining how the UK will contribute to global efforts to save our natural world, as well as sending a senior delegation to COP16 and leading on crucial financing negotiations. Nature cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Paul de Zylva, Sustainability Analyst at Friends of the Earth, said: “England is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, ranking as the 7th worst out of 240 nations. The results of the new tracker show how meeting our targets to cut emissions are inextricably linked to protecting wildlife and our environment. We need bold and ambitious new plans to tackle both the climate and nature crises. The new government can show real leadership at its first world biodiversity summit by committing to clear actions to reverse this dire situation, including proper funding for its weakened environmental watchdogs.”
Matthew Gould, ZSL CEO said: “The new UK Government has an opportunity to help lead the global effort to protect nature. But the UK needs first to lead by example. So, we look to the new Government to make progress in protecting and restoring nature in the UK. We know that nature can recover, if we give it the chance.”
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, is attending COP16 in Colombia. He said: “Two years ago, almost 200 countries committed to an ambitious deal to reverse the deterioration of nature and wildlife around the world. The agreement was, at the time, enthusiastically championed by the UK – yet progress on reversing nature loss here is far too slow. We have got to see concerted action to end river and sea pollution, better support for nature-friendly farming and policies that help protect more land and sea for nature recovery. Inadequate prioritisation of nature risks the UK failing its environmental targets and undermining its commitments on the global stage.”
David Smith, Advocacy and Social Change Manager at Buglife, said: “The lack of national action on nature risks undermining international commitments and leadership. To ensure successful implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, invertebrates must be fully incorporated into action plans. This report indicates limited progress on addressing key drivers of invertebrate decline including backwards progress against harmful chemicals and no progress tackling invasive non-native species. It is especially concerning that the nocturnal environment is absent, disregarding the impact of light pollution has on the majority of invertebrate species.
The UK must show leadership at COP16 to deliver for nature and ensure sustainable populations of all invertebrates are restored in the UK and beyond. The UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, detailing new action, strategies and finance that will deliver Global Biodiversity Framework targets across the UK must be published without further delay.”
The assessment shows a marginal improvement on where progress was one year on from COP15. Last year’s report (on the same actions and targets) found 3 target rankings to be in the “dark red” 14 targets to be “red” with the remaining 9 in “yellow”. But nature groups are warning that action on biodiversity must ramp up significantly to meet targets agreed. For example, an analysis earlier this month found that England risks failure in meeting the landmark target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature without taking substantial additional action.
Conservationists are deeply concerned at the lack of action globally to meet the targets within the Global Biodiversity Framework set at 2022 COP15. Currently just over a third of participating nations (77 countries – including the UK) have met COP15 commitments to publish domestic biodiversity targets. And even fewer have published plans on how they will actually achieve these commitments. So far, just 20 out of 196 member countries (10%) have done so.
Environment groups are calling on all participating nations to urgently publish their plans to restore nature and for UK ministers to step up on plans for domestic nature restoration, to take leadership on the global stage.
Nature groups hope to hear substantial commitments to UK nature from the new Secretary of State at the COP16 talks. A nature rescue plan is needed that includes:
- Ensure senior Government representation at COP16, including from the Treasury, and show willingness from the UK to host the next talks for COP17 in 2026.
- Rapid publication of the UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, detailing new action, strategies and finance that will deliver Global Biodiversity Framework targets across the UK. In England, the EIP review is an opportunity to ensure England’s plans and policies are fit-for-purpose to achieve the GBF targets.
- All UK countries should put forward legally binding targets on recovering species and match them with costed delivery plans. In England, action to recover species should include:
- A new, significant, long-term fund to boost nature in key areas, including protected sites currently in poor condition.
- Funding, plans and advice to support nature positive farming.
- Protection of marine ecosystems, including plans for fisheries to be managed.
- Deliver international finance commitments, in line with the Target 19 aim of £20 billion by 2025, and ensure adequate finance to deliver GBF targets domestically.
- Robust and progressive approach to progressing negotiations on Digital Sequencing Information (DSI) at COP16 talks – this could create nature recovery funding from wealthy industries that have exploited nature to their benefit.
