Environment Act 2021

8 Environmental improvement plans

(1) The Secretary of State must prepare an environmental improvement plan.

(2) An “environmental improvement plan” is a plan for significantly improving the natural environment in the period to which the plan relates.

(3) That period must not be shorter than 15 years.

(4) An environmental improvement plan must set out the steps Her Majesty’s Government intends to take to improve the natural environment in the period to which the plan relates.

(5) It may also set out steps Her Majesty’s Government intends to take to improve people’s enjoyment of the natural environment in that period (and if it does so references in this Part to improving the natural environment, in relation to that plan, include improving people’s enjoyment of it).

(6) The Secretary of State’s functions in relation to environmental improvement plans are not exercisable in relation to the natural environment in Wales.

(7) The document entitled “A green future: our 25 year plan to improve the environment” published by Her Majesty’s Government on 11 January 2018 is to be treated as an environmental improvement plan prepared by the Secretary of State under this section.

(8) References in this Part—

(a) to the first environmental improvement plan, are to that document;

(b) to the current environmental improvement plan, are to the environmental improvement plan for the time being in effect.