New plan sets course for cleaner rivers and air, as well as more nature and wildlife in England.
People across England will benefit from cleaner air and water under a strengthened plan to restore the natural environment, backed by hundreds of millions of pounds to revive iconic landscapes.
The revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), published today (Monday 1 December), sets out an ambitious five-year roadmap to tackle the nature and climate crisis, improve public health, and support sustainable growth.
Communities will see improved air quality thanks to action on fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) - a harmful pollutant linked to asthma, lung disease, and heart conditions. Under a new interim target, population exposure to PM2.5 will be cut by 30% by 2030, compared to 2018 levels - supporting better quality of life and reducing pressure on the NHS.
Nature will be boosted with a quarter of a million hectares of wildlife-rich habitats created or restored by 2030 - an area larger than Greater London. This is 110,000 hectares of habitat more than had been previously committed, supporting our aims for a healthier environment, which is essential to growth.
A new target to halve the presence of damaging invasive species compared to 25 years ago will protect native wildlife and farmers' livelihoods. This will help prevent new invasive species from becoming established and manage existing invaders like the American Signal Crayfish and Japanese Knotweed.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:
Our environment faces real challenges, with pollution in our waterways, air quality that's too low in many areas, and treasured species in decline.
This plan marks a step change in restoring nature. Our ambitious targets are backed by real action to cut harmful air pollutants, revive habitats and protect the environment for generations to come.
The plan is being supported with new headline commitments and funding announced today. This includes:
The publication follows wider government action on nature and biodiversity, including the reintroduction of beavers to the wild, a commitment to end bee-killing pesticides, and the launch of two National Forests.
Government will now work with individuals, communities, farmers, businesses and local authorities to deliver the plan, driving economic growth through green jobs and innovation while ensuring future generations benefit from a greener and more prosperous country.
Landscape Recovery is one of the government nature-friendly farming schemes, alongside Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which also deliver positive outcomes for nature and sustainable food production. Over half of farmland is already in one of these schemes, with an improved SFI offer opening next year.
Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:
The Environment Agency welcomes the revised Environmental Improvement Plan. We've worked closely with Defra to make this Plan more streamlined and delivery-focused, with greater emphasis on Environment Act targets.
We are responsible for 50 of the over 300 actions, many focused on water quality. We're ensuring water companies comply with permits and reduce storm overflow pollution, whilst supporting farmers through more inspections to give them better advice. We'll also help restore England's rare chalk streams and continue our work to tackle PFAS pollution.
The plan complements our EA2030 strategy which prioritises delivery for the public and our environment."
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Natural England chief executive Marian Spain said:
Nature is essential to our economy, our health and our security. The ambitious targets and focus on delivery in the Environmental Improvement Plan brings a welcome clarity to what everybody needs to do for nature recovery.
For example, expanding wildlife-rich habitats will sustain our most precious places and species and mean more people can enjoy nature, and more funding for Landscape Recovery will enable farmers to work together to make farms more resilient to climate change as well as helping clean up water and air.
Natural England is already making progress against the targets with, for example, 12 new National Nature Reserves declared or extended since 2023 through the King's Series. But long-term success will need action and funding from across business, society and government to create a thriving natural environment for future generations."
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Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said: