Global Biodiversity Loss and National Security

Baroness Sheehan Excerpts

Monday 23rd February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

We are currently looking at that. We need to reduce the amount of run-off, for example, from farms, and we are looking at how best to work with farmers to improve the situation.

[Baroness Sheehan (LD)]

My Lords, the assessment is explicit that nature is a foundation of national security, yet independent analysis, not least by the Government’s own watchdog, the OEP, in its recent annual report, shows that the UK is not on track to meet its own nature recovery targets, thereby increasing domestic risk. How do the Government reconcile this security assessment with current trajectories on the Environment Act targets and land use policies?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

We are doing a number of pieces of work right across the department that will come together to try to have the outcomes that we want. It is important that the role that Defra plays in national security and resilience planning is better implemented and recognised across government. We are working really hard to do that, whether it is the work we are doing around flooding, with farmers, within biodiversity, on tree planting, or globally. There is a huge amount of work, and once that all comes together, we should see the results and outcomes of it.