Book Description

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee express concern that, more than one year on from publication of the natural environment white paper, "The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature" (Cm. 8082, ISBN 9780101808224), Defra has failed to set out clear plans to ensure that government decision-making fully values the services nature provides. All government policy should fully value natural capital. Government Ministers must also: publish an action plan with a timetable to deliver each of the White Paper's 92 commitments; give planners and developers guidance on how the National Planning Policy Framework can be used to protect Nature Improvement Areas; fully assess the benefits and costs of environmental regulation, to prevent a perception that environmental protection imposes a drag on the UK economy; publish the Government's response to advice from the Natural Capital Committee. The report also concludes that: biodiversity offsetting can deliver positive impacts on the natural environment; the target to end all peat use by 2030 shows a lamentable lack of ambition and a review of progress must be brought forward to 2014; Defra must set a target to increase public engagement with nature, since local authorities, NGOs and charities can only secure funding for environmental projects when they can demonstrate measurable success; the Department for Health and the Department for Education must define measurements which demonstrate how greater public engagement with nature delivers gains in public health and educational attainment; the entire coastal path around England should be in place within 10 years.