Wildly out of whack

THE Government is far behind in its goal to halt Nature’s decline and ensure 30% of land and sea is protected by 2030, finds the latest damning report from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

Released last week, covering the period April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, the report shows that England is fully on track to reach only four out of 40 legally binding targets, with those behind including the recovery of native species, sustainable fish- eries and water quality; 15 could not be assessed due to lack of evidence, but progress has been made on reducing emissions of some air pollutants, greenhouse gases and chemical pollutants.

‘Deeply, deeply concerning adverse environmental trends continue,’ laments OEP chair Dame Glenys Stacey. ‘With the depleted state of our natural environment and the unprecedented pace of climate change, it does seem to many that we are at a crossroads. It is not easy for us as a nation to choose the right path, the right trajectory and to travel together at the pace needed, but we simply must.’