Today, I have launched the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan which sets out how we will continue to improve our environment here in the UK and around the world. Nature is vital for our survival and it is crucial to our food security, clean air and clean water as well as health and well-being benefits.
The Plan covers how the Government will:
• Create and restore at least 500,000 hectares of new wildlife habitats, starting with 70 new wildlife projects including 25 new or expanded National Nature Reserves and 19 further Nature Recovery Projects
• Deliver a clean and plentiful supply of water for people and nature into the future, by tackling leaks, publishing a roadmap to boost household water efficiency, and enabling greater sources of supply
• Challenge councils to improve air quality more quickly and tackle key hotspots
• Transform the management of 70% of our countryside by incentivising farmers to adopt nature-friendly practices
• Boost green growth and create new jobs – from foresters and farmers to roles in green finance and research and development
The public will also benefit from a new commitment to access green space or water within a 15-minute walk from their home, such as woodlands, wetlands, parks and rivers.
Find out more about the full announcement on the Environmental Improvement Plan here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ambitious-roadmap-for-a-cleaner-greener-country