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UK Government Responds to Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity

June 15, 2021 |

This forward was written by Kemi Badenoch MP Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, and published on GOV.UK.

“Protecting and enhancing the natural environment, and the biodiversity that underpins it, is crucial to supporting sustainable, resilient economies, livelihoods and well-being.

The mounting evidence of rapidly increasing biodiversity loss – from the recent IPBES Global Assessment to the Living Planet Index – tells us that we must act urgently if we are to avoid both the environmental and economic risks that arise from the continued degradation of the natural environment; and to ensure that we are best-placed to take advantage of the benefits of a ‘nature positive’ future.

The Government has already made significant progress towards delivering such a future, one in which we leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and reverse global biodiversity loss by 2030.

Last month, the Government announced a new world-leading target on species abundance for 2030, aimed at halting species decline. We have also committed to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030 and are encouraging others to do the same. In England, we are reorienting the support we provide our agricultural sector to improve the environment, animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions. We have committed to spend at least £3 billion of the UK’s International Climate Finance on nature and biodiversity over five years. And we have set out an ambitious Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution which will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly skilled green jobs across the UK.

We are not complacent, however, and recognise that more needs to be done – both domestically and internationally – if we are to deliver a nature positive future.

The independent and global Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity makes a significant contribution to our efforts, helping economists and policymakers – not only in the UK but around the world – to understand the case for urgent action; how they can approach and take decisions in ways which account for the natural environment; and in doing so have a more complete view when balancing social, economic, and environmental considerations in decision-making.

We are grateful to Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta for his Review, and to the members of the Review’s Advisory Panel. The Review presents profound, and in some cases challenging, conclusions.

Building on our ambitious nature agenda, this report sets out the ways in which the Government will go further in response to many of the Review’s conclusions.

The Dasgupta Review will continue to shape a significant part of our ongoing efforts as we work with international partners, the private sector, NGOs and others to deliver a nature positive future and ensure economic and financial decision-making supports that ambition.

Kemi Badenoch MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury…”

Read the full response.

Read the Coalition’s response.

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