Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of light pollution on biodiversity.

Defra has supported international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production (2016), which notes that the effect of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.

The National Planning Policy Framework, updated in 2024, sets out how the possible ecological impacts of artificial light should be considered in the planning system. It includes a specific requirement to limit the impact of light pollution on nature conservation. Defra has also contributed to associated guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.