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1130540

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution that green bridges make to biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261183
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Green bridges are structures designed to provide wildlife and non-motorised users with easy and safe crossing of main roads and railways.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, Natural England published a review of the literature on green bridges. The review looked at 53 case studies from Europe and North America and found evidence that, in the majority of cases, green bridges were utilised by wildlife, although an assessment of their effectiveness in conserving wildlife populations was limited by the lack of long-term monitoring data. Guidance on the design of green bridges was also published by the Landscape Institute based on research undertaken by Natural England.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, the Government published research which included an assessment of the A21 Scotney Caste Green Bridge, constructed by the then Highways Agency, which found that of all incidences of bats crossing the road to and from the Scotney Castle Estate, 97 per cent used the green bridge. At least five bat species were recorded foraging over the bridge which was also used by deer, badger and breeding dormice.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will keep the evidence for the effectiveness of these structures under review as new green bridges are planned and implemented.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 11:08:13 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1130541

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which key performance indicators his Department uses to assess progress in improving the UK’s biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261184
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter. The UK government has a range of performance indicators for England, although we do also work with the devolved administrations to compile indicators at UK scale for international reporting.</p><p> </p><p>In June 2019 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan-may-2018" target="_blank">Single Departmental Plan</a> which includes biodiversity performance indicators for England, including: extent of marine protected areas and condition of protected sites and priority habitat.</p><p> </p><p>In May of this year, the Government published a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan" target="_blank">new indicator framework</a> for the 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out a transparent, comprehensive framework that shows how the environment in England is changing and whether it is improving over time. These indicators include diversity and health of our seas, wildlife and wild places, and nature on land and water.</p><p> </p><p>To support reporting of progress across the whole of the UK, the government publishes a set of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/biodiversity-indicators-for-the-uk" target="_blank">UK Biodiversity Indicators,</a> updated annually. These measure long term trends in the UK’s biodiversity and progress against our international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 09:52:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1279231

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat the Government has committed to creating or restoring is in addition to or inclusive of replacing habitat lost as a result of the National High speed Rail Network.
	tabling member constituency	Newton Abbot
	tabling member printed	Anne Marie Morris
	uin	141465
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2021 answer text <p>HS2 is the first major infrastructure project to commit to seeking to deliver no net loss in biodiversity across the route. However, we can still go further and the Government is asking HS2 Ltd to look to identify opportunities to move towards gains in biodiversity, where it is reasonably practicable to do so. HS2 is also enhancing the Phase 2a scheme's existing No Net Loss objective, by working to identify and implement appropriate opportunities, where it is reasonably practicable, to move towards net gains in biodiversity.</p><p> </p><p>We are still developing our monitoring approach for net gain and for wider commitments in the 25 Year Environment Plan such as the Nature Recovery Network, which incorporates the commitment to create or restore 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites.</p><p> </p><p>We expect mandatory and voluntary net gain to contribute both to the Nature Recovery Network and to the long-term goal. As we develop our monitoring and delivery approaches to net gain and to the Nature Recovery Network more broadly, we will clearly need to consider how much of the habitat created is contributing to the goal.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/01/2021 10:34:16 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4249 label Biography information for Anne Marie Morris

1204215

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework: Revised Implementation Plan before that plan expires.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5745
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>Biodiversity is a devolved matter in the UK, and each country has its own national biodiversity plan or strategy. The UK framework was established by the UK Government and Devolved Administrations to identify joint actions to complement country implementation, for example on reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), evidence collation and sharing of best practice.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and its implementation plan are reviewed regularly by the four UK countries, alongside the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. It is our intention to continue working together to develop a new UK Biodiversity Framework and associated implementation plan, on which discussions are underway.</p><p> </p><p>Our intention is also that the new Biodiversity Framework will set out shared priorities and areas for collaboration across the UK, primarily as a collective response to the post-2020 global framework of goals and targets, expected to be agreed at the CBD’s Fifteenth Conference of the Parties, COP15.</p><p> </p><p>We had envisaged that publication of a new UK Framework would follow COP15, originally scheduled for October 2020, and therefore lead on directly from the existing implementation plan. As COP15 has been delayed to 2021 in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we will ensure that our collaborative momentum continues, including to consider a further revised plan until the new global framework is announced.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 30/06/2020 15:16:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1352180

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a pilot scheme to consider the impact of biodiversity net gain in 2022 and 2023 before its full implementation in 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	42075
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>We know that a number of local planning authorities and developers are already seeking biodiversity net gains from development and we are continuing to speak to industry and the planning sector to understand the issues and needs arising from pre-commencement practice.</p><p> </p><p>Some aspects of the biodiversity net gain policy were tested, and evaluated, as part of the biodiversity offsetting pilots which took place from 2012 to 2014. We will shortly be consulting formally on more details of biodiversity net gain’s implementation and will consider which components of the approach might benefit from pre-commencement testing as part of this.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/09/2021 15:58:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

1253753

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) analysis and (b) recommendations of the Global Biodiversity Outlook Report 5, published on 15 September 2020, (i) on biodiversity loss, (ii) on human encroachment and destruction of ecosystems, as increasing the risk of emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and (iii) on a biodiversity-inclusive One Health transition.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	117970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2020 answer text <p>The GBO5 report is being used to inform our work both internationally and domestically. It provides a comprehensive assessment of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and its findings will be fully considered by all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the 24<sup>th</sup> meeting of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. This in turn will inform the ongoing development of post 2020 biodiversity targets which are due to be agreed at CBD CoP15 next year. The UK is committed to the adoption of ambitious post 2020 biodiversity targets that will address the destruction of ecosystems as a driver of biodiversity loss and a contribution to the emergence zoonotic diseases. The GBO5 will also be one of a number of reports which will assist in bringing nature to the forefront of discussions at UNFCCC COP26, which we will host in November next year.</p><p>At home the report points to the need for enhanced implementation. In England, the 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step-change in our ambition, and we are already taking action to implement that. We are putting in place the legislative framework for nature recovery through the Environment Bill, including provisions for legally binding targets on biodiversity and the wider environment. We are increasing funding for nature's recovery, investing in green jobs, woodland expansion and peatland restoration. We are developing a new Environmental Land Management scheme that will reward farmers and land managers for delivering environmental public goods, including thriving plants and wildlife.</p><p>Our support for international action to address the causes of the current pandemic and minimise future zoonotic disease emergence and spill over, along with the need for the One Health approach to take proper account of environmental health, will be informed by the report and many other scientific reviews.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/11/2020 17:40:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1284695

	registered interest
	date	08/02/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on improving the natural environment of the findings of the Final Report, The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, published by HMT on 2 February 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	150981
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government thanks Professor Dasgupta for his independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity, and its considerable contribution to the important issue of global biodiversity loss. Protecting and enhancing our natural assets, and the biodiversity that underpins them, is crucial to achieving a sustainable, resilient economy. The Government will draw on the strong intellectual basis provided by the Review to drive the ambitious change and investment needed to protect and enhance the natural environment.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government has recently taken numerous actions to address biodiversity loss including: announcing support for a global target to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030; committing to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030; committing to invest at least £3 billion over five years in climate change solutions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity; launching the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund to plant more than 40 million trees and restore 35,000 hectares of peatland in England; legislating to prevent illegal deforestation in the supply chains of large UK companies; pioneering the Leaders Pledge for Nature, which has now been signed by 82 countries; and strengthening Government guidelines for policy appraisal to ensure environmental impacts are taken into account.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will examine the Review’s findings closely and respond formally in due course on the ways in which the government intends to draw and build on the Review, both domestically and internationally.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/02/2021 16:31:51 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1290244

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the written statement of 2 February 2021, HCWS752 on the publication of the Independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, what methodology his Department is using to assess the findings of that review; what cross-departmental work is involved in that assessment; and what his timescale is for reporting the Government's formal response to that review to Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	159269
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the recent publication of the Dasgupta Review as a strong example of UK thought leadership on an important environmental issue with clear – but often overlooked – economic consequences. The Government will closely examine the Review’s findings - including those concerning measures of economic success. It will call on international partners, including through the UK’s Presidencies of the G7 and COP26, to do the same and will respond formally to the Review in due course.</p><p> </p><p>On 12 February, the Chancellor co-hosted the first G7 meeting with the Governor of the Bank of England and called on the G7 to take the lead in shaping support for vulnerable countries in 2021. He stated that climate and nature considerations will be a central priority for this year’s Finance Agenda, paving the way to a truly green global economic recovery. The Chancellor urged his counterparts to match the UK’s ambitions ahead of COP26 and stressed the importance of working together to support a smooth and effective transition of our economies to net zero.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 159270 159271 159273 question first answered 08/03/2021 09:50:57 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1290245

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, what steps he is taking to evaluate and adopt alternative metrics of economic success other than Gross Domestic Produce.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	159270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the recent publication of the Dasgupta Review as a strong example of UK thought leadership on an important environmental issue with clear – but often overlooked – economic consequences. The Government will closely examine the Review’s findings - including those concerning measures of economic success. It will call on international partners, including through the UK’s Presidencies of the G7 and COP26, to do the same and will respond formally to the Review in due course.</p><p> </p><p>On 12 February, the Chancellor co-hosted the first G7 meeting with the Governor of the Bank of England and called on the G7 to take the lead in shaping support for vulnerable countries in 2021. He stated that climate and nature considerations will be a central priority for this year’s Finance Agenda, paving the way to a truly green global economic recovery. The Chancellor urged his counterparts to match the UK’s ambitions ahead of COP26 and stressed the importance of working together to support a smooth and effective transition of our economies to net zero.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 159269 159271 159273 question first answered 08/03/2021 09:50:57 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1460181

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2022
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the unique biodiversity loss challenges facing each sector of the economy, including those which go beyond deforestation; and if he will make it his policy to issue guidance on sectoral pathways to a nature positive economy.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	158922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government has committed to leave the environment in a better state than we found it, and recognises the unique biodiversity loss challenges faced by every sector of our economy.</p><p>Through the Environment Act, the Government is introducing a statutory cycle of monitoring, planning and reporting on Environmental Improvement Plans (EIPs). The Outcome Indicator Framework provides one method of reporting on the progress of the EIP. The Framework draws together a comprehensive suite of measures which collectively describe environmental change as it relates to the ten goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan (which will become the first EIP).</p><p>The Government has introduced a significant number of policies across the economy to support sectors to recover nature, from biodiversity net gain to environmental land management schemes. In 2018 the Green Book incorporated reference to natural capital for the first time. The 2020 version of the Green Book incorporated as its supplementary guidance Defra's 'Enabling a Natural Capital Approach' (ENCA) which provides further data, guidance, and tools to support policymakers in every Government Department on how to consider natural capital in all decision-making.</p><p>In our 2019 Green Finance Strategy, the government committed to transforming the frameworks for financial decision making. This includes supporting the finance sector to develop the tools and skills to price climate and biodiversity risk into financial models. As part of the strategy, we set a clear expectation for the finance sector to implement the recommendations of the global Taskforce on Climate related Finance Disclosures, to ensure that risks are properly understood. We also committed to catalyse international action on nature-related financial disclosures.</p><p>Since the publication of the Strategy, we have increased our ambition and accelerated the pace including the Chancellor's announcement in November 2020 setting a timetable for climate disclosures to become mandatory by 2024 and through the launch of a global market-led Taskforce on Nature Related Disclosures. The Chancellor also announced plans to legislate to create a Green Taxonomy, to provide clear guidelines to investors on the sectors, technologies and activities that can be considered compatible with the transition to a nature-positive economy in line with our long-term environmental policies. As part of the Strategy, we also set up a Green Finance Institute in partnership with the City of London to support and leverage the skills in our world leading financial sector.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 28/04/2022 11:16:15 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas