Office for Environmental Protection
Taking stock: protecting, restoring and improving the environment in England

The 25 YEP and targets

In 2018 the UK government set out a long-term approach to environmental protection and improvement in its 25 YEP. The plan commits to protecting and improving the environment across a suite of 10 goals and describes a range of actions to achieve each goal. The 25 YEP relates predominantly to England but there are aspects that apply to the UK as a whole and beyond.

The Environment Act put the 25 YEP on a statutory footing: it is this country’s first EIP, as required by the Environment Act. The EIP is due for renewal and an update in 2023, and at five yearly intervals thereafter.

Government publishes an annual report to assess progress against the 25 YEP⁶. Three reports have been made available since the 25 YEP’s publication in 2018. A set of metrics on environmental trends, referred to as an Outcome Indicator Framework (OIF), launched in 2019, supports each report. Government will review the OIF as a minimum every five years.

In addition, the Environment Act requires government to set a series of long-term targets in respect of at least one matter within each of the following priority areas: air quality; water; biodiversity; resource efficiency and waste reduction. These include specific targets for species recovery and a reduction in the levels of airborne particulate matter. The Act also provides for the government to set interim targets through future EIPs covering the subsequent five year period. At least one interim target must be set for each long-term target.