A joint letter has been sent by the Environmental Policy Forum which consists of multiple organisations including the Landscape Institute, to Secretary of State, Steve Reed, discussing the ten environmental priorities for policy makers to address and how it will deliver benefits.

Dear Secretary of State,

Firstly, as the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) may we congratulate you on your recent
appointment as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Following on
our correspondence during your time as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
we hope we can continue to work together productively.

We are pleased to say that the EPF has grown since our last correspondence, and we are now a
coalition of 15 professional bodies and learned societies. Collectively we now represent over 160,000
qualified members, including business leaders and qualified public and private professionals across
a wide range of different specialised disciplines.

Together, we have delivered cross-sector consensus on the ten environmental priorities which
policymakers must urgently address. These priorities are based on the challenges experienced by
practitioners working across disciplines, and the numerous opportunities that exist to address these
barriers and achieve economic growth. Each priority contains specific asks for policymakers, which
should be achieved through support from business.

The UK has an opportunity to unlock the huge economic potential of the green transition,
supporting good jobs across all regions, spurring investment and building sustainable and resilient
growth. The responsible management and stewardship of our environment and resources, including
through decarbonisation and greater circularity, underpins the government’s economic ambitions.
Natural resources and their processed by-products form the basis of virtually all economic activity,
while innovation for sustainability presents a major growth opportunity across sectors. As
representatives of professionals and businesses spanning the full breadth of the economy, EPF can
offer trusted advice on supporting green growth.

Building on successes

Since the Government came to office last year, we have welcomed developments which aim to
deliver on these priorities, including the Government’s investment in sustainable farming and nature
recovery, and progressing with the development of a Review of the Water Sector, a Land Use
Framework and Circular Economy Strategy. However, there remains much more to be done to
capture the economic potential of the green transition and there are many unrealised opportunities.

Most central of all, there is an unlocked potential for a joined-up, evidence-based approach to
policymaking. As outlined by our ten priorities, it is clear there have previously been distinct but
interconnected areas of environmental policy existing in silos within Government, resulting in
perpetual conflict between policies to no benefit to the stated environmental objective. In addition,
the effects of policy uncertainty have contributed to an often confusing and unstable environment
for investors.

Not only will an evidence-based approach increase the probability of the policy meeting its
objectives, but there are also clear socio-economic and health benefits to implementing the
solutions outlined in our ten priorities, such as jobs creation, increased investment, industrial
development, improved air, land and water quality and reduced food waste. Taking a holistic
approach means we can navigate trade-offs, for example across different land uses, and are able to
deliver economic growth and housing infrastructure without causing environmental degradation.

Although we welcome signs that Government is more willing to engage on part 3 of the Planning
and Infrastructure Bill, we remain concerned by the recent rhetoric that nature is a blocker on
housebuilding, contrary to the evidence. We’d welcome discussing this with you further, as we think
we can help you on this matter.

How we can help you

As professional bodies and learned societies, we play a key role in facilitating good practice sharing
and regular consultation with practitioners: those with the knowledge and experience of delivering
policy.

The EPF stand ready to present you with further evidence from our extensive network, to support
the delivery of a better environment and strong economic growth. We would welcome the
opportunity to meet with you during the coming weeks, to discuss how we can work together for
mutual benefit. Perhaps you would be kind enough to ask your team to reach out to us, and then we
can work out the meeting arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely, 

Professor William Pope FIEnvSci, HonFSE, CEnv, CSci – Chair, Environmental Policy Forum

Sarah Ridgeon MCIPR – Secretariat, Environmental Policy Forum 

Signed on behalf of the following organisations: