Environment Act Target Delivery Plans
Overview
Two statutory Target Delivery Plans (TDPs) published 1 December 2025 by Defra, implementing the Environment Act 2021. They represent the government’s formal account of how legally binding targets will be met. Both plans cover targets with 2030 interim milestones and longer final deadlines (2038 and 2042 respectively).
1. Agriculture Water Quality Target Delivery Plan
Statutory target
Reduce total nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution from agriculture into water by at least 40% by 2038 (vs. 2018 baseline).
Interim target (December 2030)
- 12% reduction nationally
- 18% reduction in catchments with protected sites in unfavourable condition due to nutrient pollution
Four delivery pillars
| Pillar | Mechanism | Contribution by 2038 |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Regulatory compliance | EA inspections (£5m → £12m/yr by 2029); slurry grants (£108m); permitting extension | 12% |
| 2: Voluntary ELM uptake | SFI, Countryside Stewardship, Landscape Recovery | 3% |
| 3: Land use change | Woodland creation (13,442ha 2022-25); low-input grassland (300,000ha) | 11% |
| 4: Innovation | Farming Innovation Programme (£15m, 29 projects); novel fertilisers; bio-stimulants | 14% |
Total: 40% (the four pillars together)
Key implementation milestones
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | Slurry Infrastructure Grant Round 1 claims deadline |
| 2026 | Bio-stimulant trial results |
| December 2026 | Slurry Infrastructure Grant Round 2 claims deadline |
| 2027 | Slurry separator trial outcomes |
| 2028 | Novel fertiliser field trial completion |
| 2029 | EA inspection funding reaches £12m annually |
Monitoring
Until 2030: proxy and action-based indicators (soil nutrient balance, scheme uptake, post-inspection actions). EA’s National Agriculture Programme (est. 2006) provides baseline monitoring.
2. Residual Waste Target Delivery Plan
Statutory target
By 31 December 2042: residual waste not to exceed 287kg per capita annually in England — ~50% reduction from 2019 levels.
Interim targets (December 2030)
| Waste stream | 2030 target |
|---|---|
| Total residual waste (excl. major mineral) | 437kg per capita / 25.5m tonnes |
| Residual municipal waste | 333kg per capita |
| Residual municipal food waste | 64kg per capita |
| Residual municipal plastic waste | 42kg per capita |
| Residual municipal paper and card | 74kg per capita |
Three key delivery measures
| Measure | Key date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Simpler Recycling (businesses) | March 2025 | Launched |
| Simpler Recycling (households) | March 2026 | Upcoming |
| Micro-businesses + plastic film | March 2027 | |
| Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) | April 2025 | Phased implementation begun |
| Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) | October 2027 | Not yet launched; 90% collection target by 2030 |
These three measures are expected to deliver 82–100% of interim target reductions.
Responsible organisations
Defra (policy lead); local authorities; Environment Agency; PackUK (packaging EPR); Deposit Management Organisation.
Monitoring
Annual reporting via “Estimates of Residual Waste and Municipal Residual Waste in England” (~15-month reporting lag).
Cross-cutting tensions
- sfi-simplification-water-quality — Water quality plan relies on ELM Pillar 2 (3% contribution from voluntary uptake). SFI simplification (Jan 2026) restructures the very scheme that delivers Pillar 2 — specifically reviewing payment rates for actions that take land out of production, which includes buffer strips and low-input grassland management that directly reduce N/P/sediment run-off.
- The 15-month reporting lag on residual waste means the 2030 interim target will have very limited early warning signals — the first comparable data point may arrive in 2027 or later.
Source files
raw/target-delivery-plans/agriculture-water-quality-plan.mdraw/target-delivery-plans/residual-waste-target-plan.md