11 March 2026
Evidence-based environmental assessment, professional expertise and institutional capacity to carry out decision-making must provide the foundation for UK Government’s reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), says the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) – formerly known as IEMA.
In its response to the UK Government’s NPPF consultation, ISEP stated that the planning system played a critical role in enabling sustainable development, supporting the transition to net zero and protecting the natural environment. It was therefore essential that environmental assessment and robust environmental evidence remained cornerstones in ensuring that planning decisions appropriately balanced economic, social and environmental considerations.
ISEP’s response focused on areas where the expertise of its 20,000+ members contributed most directly to improving the effectiveness of the planning system – including thousands of experts who work on all sides of the UK planning system, from impact assessment professionals and specialist environmental consultants, to construction, infrastructure and development companies, and local planning authorities.
The response emphasised the importance of maintaining strong environmental safeguards while enabling the delivery of infrastructure and development needed to support economic growth and the energy transition, focusing on six key areas:
1. Environmental evidence and assessment support effective planning decisions.
2. Protection and enhancement of the natural environment remain fundamental to sustainable development.
3. Delivering environmental outcomes is dependent on clear and effective planning conditions, implementation and monitoring.
4. Climate mitigation and adaptation should remain central to planning policy.
5. Appropriate environmental safeguards must be in place to support renewable energy development.
6. Planning reform must be supported by professional capacity and capability.
ISEP Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Signe Norberg, said: “Reforming the NPPF is a critical opportunity to embed climate and environmental ambitions while ensuring effective delivery of the homes and infrastructure that we need.
“The recognition of nature early in the process is particularly welcome as it will help support better design and environmental outcomes. However, these reforms do not sit in isolation.
“The UK government needs to set out how a range of recent planning reforms will be implemented and work alongside each other, particularly in relation to impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments and environmental outcome reports. Clarity is critical to deliver at pace.”
