Stronger frameworks. Clearer accountability. Statutory targets.

The latest news about the UK’s Revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP25) and Scotland’s Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill signal something important:
nature recovery is finally being treated as core national infrastructure, not a side issue.

Revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP25)

The UK’s Revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP25): what it means for the ocean — and why we can’t wait

What it is:

EIP25 updates the 2023 and published in December 2025 plan to clarify delivery against the Environment Act 2021 targets across ten environmental goal areas, including wildlife, water, air, climate, waste and biosecurity.
It includes revised interim targets (e.g., increase wildlife-rich habitat, expand tree cover, reduce pollution and invasive species) tied to the 2030 horizon.
EIP25 promises a clearer monitoring and evaluation framework and strengthened annual reporting.

Limitations & Weaknesses:

Critiques highlight that the marine environment received very limited attention compared to land, with few concrete marine actions. Key marine ecosystem commitments (e.g., beyond Marine Protected Areas) lack detail — marine species, net gain, and threats like bycatch and pollution are not adequately addressed.
Defra’s resourcing and cross-government levers are widely judged insufficient to deliver the scale of ambition.
Independent assessments show the UK is still largely off track on most environmental targets, raising questions about EIP25’s potential impact.
The marginalization of marine nature goals — particularly for species and non-protected waters — signals potential policy blind spots that could allow ongoing marine degradation.

Why this matters

The ocean underpins climate stability, food security, coastal protection and economic resilience. Treating marine recovery as a “nice to have” rather than a core pillar of environmental policy puts 2030 targets at serious risk.

What needs to happen now
At SaveOCEAN, we see EIP25 as a critical opportunity:

To push for clear, measurable marine targets
To strengthen marine monitoring and accountability
To ensure ocean health is fully embedded in growth, climate and nature strategies – not sidelined

The structure is there. The urgency is clear.

The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: a big opportunity for nature but the ocean must not be an afterthought

What is is:

Published in January 2026: This landmark bill passed in the Scottish Parliament.
The Bill creates a legal duty for Scottish Ministers to set nature-restoration targets that help deliver Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity – aiming for nature-positive outcomes by 2030 and restored biodiversity by 2045.
The new regime will include statutory targets, frameworks for monitoring and reporting, and independent assessment, designed to embed accountability across government.
It includes powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation.

Limitations and weakness

The Bill primarily sets out the framework for targets rather than the targets themselves. The actual targets, timelines, and detailed measures will be set later by secondary legislation — leaving critical details unresolved at the outset.
Although Scotland’s biodiversity strategy has ambitious timelines (2030 halt of loss; 2045 restoration), the Bill itself does not embed specific deadlines for nature targets, raising concerns about delayed action.
Though the Bill’s definition includes ecosystems “in water,” marine restoration action remains mostly dependent on other strategies (e.g., delivery plans, MPAs).
Given persistent issues like trawling impacts and weak enforcement in Scottish waters, statutory targets may not automatically translate into effective marine protection.

Why the ocean matters here

Scotland’s seas are central to climate resilience, biodiversity recovery, and coastal livelihoods. Without clear, measurable marine targets — and strong enforcement — statutory ambition risks failing at sea.

What needs to happen now
As this Bill moves forward, we must:

Embed specific marine ecosystem targets (e.g. seabed habitats, blue carbon, species recovery)
Ensure robust monitoring and enforcement in Scottish waters
Resource delivery properly — not just on land, but across our seas.

At SaveOCEAN, we see a narrow but critical window.
The structures are being built. The laws are being written.

If the ocean isn’t hard-wired into delivery now, we’ll still be asking “why are we off track?” in 2030.