Environment Bill amended to ensure biodiversity loss stops by 2030

Article summary

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has announced that amendments to the Environment Bill were tabled in order to strengthen the ‘duty to set a legally-binding target to halt species decline by 2030.’ In addition to reversing biodiversity loss, the amendments require water companies to monitor and publish data regarding the water quality impact of their sewage discharges, impose a duty on the government to publish a report setting out the costs and benefits of the elimination of overflows and to review legislation which requires sustainable drainage systems to be constructed to ministerial standards on new developments, and introduce statutory guidance on how local planning authorities must take into account Local Nature Recovery Strategies.