OEP says Government on track with environmental principles but could do more

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In its latest report, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) scrutinises and monitors how the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) has been implemented across a number of government departments since it came into effect on 1 November 2023.

There are positive early signs that a key legal obligation, designed to put the environment at the heart of government policy-making, is being supported by Government, but more still needs to be done.

Government ministers and officials have a legal duty to consider the EPPS when making policy. The EPPS is important because it sets out how Ministers (and officials acting on their behalf) should apply five well established environmental principles to support environmental protection and improvement. It means government policy-makers are legally obliged to consider the potential positive and negative effects on the environment from the outset, and as they develop policy.

The five principles are:

  • Integration
  • Prevention
  • Rectification at source
  • Polluter pays
  • Precautionary principle

The OEP is now urging strong Government leadership to strengthen the EPPS and help drive progress towards Government’s legally binding environment targets, commitments and goals, such as those in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). Government is currently largely off-track to meet statutory and other targets.