Update on publication of Environmental Targets by Defra

The Office for Environmental Protection has been receiving regular updates from Defra about the progress being made towards the publication of new Environmental Targets. 

In a letter to us sent on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister Trudy Harrison confirmed that the Secretary of State is aiming to publish the final targets by the end of the calendar year, subject to concluding the normal processes of collective agreement across Government. 

Helen Venn, the OEP’s Chief Regulatory Officer, said: “We are assured that appropriate progress is being made to put things right after the statutory deadline was missed on 31 October.  

“There are still some challenges and risks if the targets are to be in place by the end of the calendar year as stated, so we will continue to closely monitor progress and keep our enforcement options under active review.

“Of course, it is not only the publication date of the targets that is important, but also the quality of the targets themselves. We provided advice to Defra on how to ensure the targets were sufficiently ambitious and comprehensive, and we are now interested to see the final versions.

“We have also been provided with information in relation to other missed statutory deadlines that we have raised with Defra and continue to have an active interest in the progress being made in respect of those matters.”

An exchange of letters between OEP Chair Dame Glenys Stacey and Minister Trudy Harrison can be found by clicking on the blue buttons on this page.