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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the effectiveness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in providing a framework for towns, cities, and communities in the UK to become more sustainable in policy areas for which his Department is responsible.

The Environment Act 2021 provides a framework for local authorities to support their towns, cities and communities by improving air and water quality, tackling waste, increasing recycling, halting the decline of species, and improving our natural environment. These will contribute significantly to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK and our aims to level up the country. The Environment Act will deliver long-term targets to improve air quality, biodiversity (to halt the decline of nature by 2030), water, and waste reduction and resource efficiency. These will in turn support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 15 (Life on Land), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), as well as 14 (Life Below Water). This work is further supported by the UK’s Net Zero Strategy and the Resources and Waste Strategy.