Consultation on the Draft Policy Statement on Environmental Principles

Overview

The landmark Environment Act 2021 will create a duty on Ministers of the Crown to have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles when making policy. This legally binding statement will see five environmental principles committed to by the UK Government to guide its work and ensure considerations for the environment remain central to policy making. The policy statement will ensure that ministers understand how to interpret and proportionately apply these principles across government policy, and will guide ministers towards opportunities to prevent environmental damage whilst supporting innovation and sustainable development. This will help to deliver the government’s intention to deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.

Why your views matter

The Government is consulting on the draft policy statement on environmental principles which sets out how those five internationally recognised environmental principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied.

What happens next

The Government response to the consultation is published online:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/environmental-principles-draft-policy-statement

The draft environmental principles policy statement was laid in Parliament on 11 May 2022, for parliamentary scrutiny. Following parliamentary scrutiny, the Government laid and published the final environmental principles policy statement on 31 Jan 2023.  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-principles-policy-statement