Government reiterates commitment to climate and nature ambitions
The report stresses that addressing these crises together can bring substantial co-benefits, including stronger national resilience and reduced systemic risks. As part of its strategy, the UK aims to become a global leader in clean energy by 2035, with plans to more than double annual investments in clean energy industries to £30 billion.
In the Government’s first annual climate and nature address, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband MP reinforced the link between global warming and nature loss, referencing the Met Office’s warning that UK temperatures are rising at a rate of 0.25°C per decade. He called for urgent emissions reductions and nature restoration, noting that while global efforts have lowered projected warming since the Paris Agreement, continued action is vital. Miliband praised the cross-party efforts behind the Climate and Nature Bill and emphasised that climate resilience will be placed at the heart of Government decision-making going forward.
The report is welcome and we applaud the Government’s ambitions, in particular recognising climate change and nature loss as interlinked crises. However, these ambitions need to be turned into enforceable domestic law. Considerable investment is also needed to bring funding for nature recovery up to the level of climate actions.
We also note that the report also states that “the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes the creation of a Nature Restoration Fund which will ensure development contributes to the recovery of protected sites and species. By unlocking the positive impact development can have in improving our environment, the NRF will support the delivery of the government’s wider climate and nature commitments, whilst ensuring that our planning system is clear, timely and cost effective for developers.” As the Bill currently stands this is not the case.