{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-2021/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-2021/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2021/30",
  "legislation_title": "Environment Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environment-act-2021",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Environmental targets: species abundance",
  "text": "(1) The Secretary of State must by regulations set a target (the “species abundance target”) in respect of a matter relating to the abundance of species.\n(2) The specified date for the species abundance target must be 31 December 2030.\n(3) Accordingly, the species abundance target is not a long-term target and the duty in subsection (1) is in addition to (and does not discharge) the duty in section 1(2) to set a long-term target in relation to biodiversity.\n(4) Before making regulations under subsection (1) which set or amend a target the Secretary of State must be satisfied that meeting the target, or the amended target, would halt a decline in the abundance of species.\n(5) Section 1(4) to (9) applies to the species abundance target and to regulations under this section as it applies to targets set under section 1 and to regulations under that section.\n(6) In this Part “the species abundance target” means the target set under subsection (1).",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 147(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 3 in force at 24.1.2022 by S.I. 2022/48, reg. 2(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:58:04.548359+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}