EAC Chair responds to new Environmental Improvement Plan

Responding to the Government's publication of a new Environmental Improvement Plan, Toby Perkins, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said:  

“The Environmental Improvement Plan is a vital part of the tools available to the Government's efforts to fight climate change and restore nature. I'm pleased to see today's update arrive after a long wait.  

Stronger air pollution targets are welcome, as is the commitment to publish a PFAS action plan in 2026, something that the Committee's ongoing inquiry will look at in detail.  

Do the Government's commitments match its ambition? The £500 million for Landscape Recovery is much needed, but at £25 million a year, I am very sceptical that it offers anything like adequate funding.  

Ministers say the new EIP delivers measurable commitments that protect our national resilience as much as our land, rivers and seas. I support that approach, but the Committee will scrutinise these plans in detail to ensure that its action matches its rhetoric.”