Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Motion Text

That this House recognises the overwhelming public support for nature and understands that restoring the natural environment is critical to public health and a strong, sustainable and resilient economy; expresses concern that recommendations in the Nuclear Regulatory Review may weaken habitats regulations and undermine legal protections for our most important sites for wildlife at a time of accelerating nature decline and biodiversity loss; notes that a regression from the existing legal protections for nature could undermine EU-UK trade relations; believes that high environmental standards and efficient development can and must go hand in hand; urges the Government to uphold strong environmental protections and deliver infrastructure alongside nature recovery by urgently implementing Biodiversity Net Gain for major infrastructure projects to enable well-planned, sustainable development; and calls on the Government to implement the recent recommendation from the Office for Environmental Protection to set a legally binding target to increase and improve the condition of protected sites.