The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) raised questions about the government’s proposed targets on water pollution, tree planting and rewilding, calling them “irrational” and “unachievable”, according to documents published by the environment department.
Under the 2021 Environment Act, the government was required to set legally binding targets for nature recovery and environmental improvements. It began consultation on those targets in March 2022, recommending, for example, an increase in tree canopy and woodland cover from 14.5% to 17.5% of total land area in England by 2050. Water pollution reduction targets were initially set for 2037.
