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

The 25 YEP vision

Government’s overarching ambition is to be the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than inherited. This was first published in a Natural Environment white paper (2011)²¹, was taken forward as a manifesto commitment in 2017²², and reiterated in the 25 YEP (2018).

Defra’s Outcome Delivery Plan for 2021-22 also reaffirmed the ‘vision and mission’ for the environment: “We are here to make our air purer, our water cleaner, our land greener and our food more sustainable. Our mission is to restore and enhance the environment for the next generation, leaving it in a better state than we found it”²³.While this is good to see, we appreciate the audience for the plan is limited.

We commend government for establishing an ambitious overarching vision. We especially welcome the transition from simple protection towards environmental recovery and enhancement, which is implicit in the phrase “better state than inherited”. The vision also highlights the need for an inter-generational approach because of the long timescales for environmental enhancement, as well as the need to act as custodians for future generations.

We also recognise the challenge in developing an overarching vision for a varied and continually changing environment. However, sharpening the vision further would help to improve the direction, urgency and coherence it provides. For example, government could clarify key dependencies in realising a “better state than inherited”, such as recognising and avoiding environmental tipping points, and transitions required in social, technological and economic systems relevant to the environment.

The next iteration of the EIP provides an opportunity to refresh the overarching vision so that it gives a real sense of the future environment the government aspires to achieve.