Defra has published an interim statement confirming that the rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) announced on 30 July 2024 has been completed, with a revised EIP to follow1. The review was announced after the Labour government came into power, following progress reports from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in which the annual pace and scale of action were deemed insufficient across multiple areas1. Steve Reed, the Defra Secretary of State, formally requested advice from the OEP as part of the process1.
The EIP, published in 2023, is the first revision of the 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out how government will act to reduce environmental pollution and restore nature1. The rapid review assessed three areas: progress in delivering the EIP since the last review in January 2023; environmental data and indicators of change in the natural environment; and expected delivery of existing measures against targets set out in the Environment Act1.
The interim statement identifies areas where improvements could be made, including evidence co-ordination with other parties, clarification of delivery and accountability, process prioritisation across overlapping areas, engagement with stakeholders across sectors, and creating more simplified, sustained funding1. The government's stated aims for the revised plan include making its actions clearer, clarifying Environment Act target delivery plans and updating interim targets, and streamlining non-statutory commitments1.
HETAS, the solid fuel and biomass certification body, reported that the interim statement is broad and covers all areas of the EIP and Environment Act targets, and that there are no specific mentions of air quality nor future actions to continue to reduce emissions1. It said it will update on new delivery plans, aims and objectives when the full revised EIP is released1.
"This interim statement is broad, covering all areas of the EIP and the Environment Act targets, so there are no specific mentions of air quality nor future actions to continue to reduce emissions."
Why it matters for households
The EIP is the framework under which environmental targets, including those touching on air quality and domestic burning, are set and reviewed. For households that burn wood or solid fuel, the practical rules they deal with, such as smoke control area restrictions and appliance standards, sit under wider clean air policy rather than the EIP itself. The interim statement does not set out new obligations for households, and no changes to domestic burning rules have been reported in it1.
The review's focus on delivery, accountability and simplified funding concerns how government and its partners carry out environmental commitments, rather than measures aimed directly at homes. What the revised plan says about air quality and emissions reduction has not yet been reported, because the interim statement does not address those areas specifically1. For a household considering how it heats its home, the immediate regulatory position is unchanged by this statement; the detail that could affect solid fuel use will come with the full revised EIP.
What happens next
A revised EIP is due to be published in 20251. HETAS has said it will report on new delivery plans, aims and objectives once the full revised plan is released1. The regulation and policy picture for household energy therefore remains open until that publication.