HETAS explains the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 to 2024 progress report

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have released their annual progress report for 2023-24, analysing data to assess current progress towards meeting goals outlined in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 (EIP23), consider what actions have impacted the UK’s progress, and describe what has been actioned to create and further progress.

The progress report assesses the UK’s short-term progress towards the ten established goals:

1. Thriving plants and wildlife
2. Clean air
3. Clean and plentiful water
4. Managing exposure to chemicals and pesticides
5. Maximising our resources, minimise our waste
6. Using resources from nature sustainably
7. Mitigating and adapting to climate change
8. Reducing risk of harm from environmental hazards
9. Enhancing biosecurity
10. Enhancing beauty, heritage, and engagement

This article focuses on goal two – clean air – as this relates to our industry the most.

What are the UK’s targets?

The Environment Act 2021, referring to the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018, set out the emission reduction requirements that the UK must meet by 2030. The reduction targets are relative to 2005 levels:

• PM2.5 – 46%
• NOx – 73%
• NH3 – 16%
• NMVOCs – 39%
• SO2 – 88%

These targets focus on the five most damaging pollutants and are legally binding targets that the UK must hit.

Key activities for 2023-24

The progress report lists key activities that have been taking place over the past year (some of which began before 2023 and are still ongoing), although the exact performances and impacts of each are not assessed.

We delved deeper into these activities and assessed our own progress in a separate article which can be read here.

Clean air assessment results summary

The publication of the Air Quality Strategy in April 2023 describes how local authorities are key for the UK to hit targets for air pollutants, detailing how actions such as smoke control areas, solid fuel regulations, and responsible burning education are essential to reduce emissions resulting from domestic burning.

The table below contains further information on each of the components and their progress:

The improvements across both PM2.5 indicator components in England are of particular importance, and it is positive to see improvements across all assessed terms.

The recent improvement are following recent years of underachieving wherein targets were not hit and the Office for Environmental Protection urged that more must be done as the current pace of scale and action was not enough. The full methodology behind these results can be found on Defra’s Outcome Indicator Framework website.

HETAS will continue to support government, providing trusted technical information, knowledge, and statistics to inform policies and work towards a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment.

Rapid review launched

The new Labour Government have recognised that action must be taken urgently to save nature across the UK and have announced that the EIP23 will be reviewed by the end of 2024.

This is in an effort to recover the UK’s environment – from lakes, rivers, and seas to species and nature – and ensure the UK can deliver on its legally binding targets. Steve Reed, the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, shared his intention to “chart a new course” as the government reviews the EIP23 and aims to turn the tide, saving the UK’s nature.