Land Use Framework progress tracker

Published in March 2026, the Land Use Framework sets out an ambitious vision for England’s future landscapes, and how the government will balance competing land uses, including farming, nature restoration and climate adaptation.

It committed the government to 79 actions. This dashboard tracks progress against each of these, based on Green Alliance’s independent analysis.

So far, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has delivered eight (ten per cent) commitments and begun work towards a further 37 (47 per cent). We have not found any public updates on the remaining 34 (43 per cent).

Scroll down to see how Defra is progressing against the framework and read our take on the important next steps.

See the bottom of this page for our methodology.

Green Alliance

Summary of progress

This chart shows progress against the Land Use Framework commitments.

Hover over or tap on each segment to see the number of commitments under each.

Progress by category

The Land Use Framework’s commitments are split into four categories. We show progress on each in the progress bar chart below. Hover over the coloured sections to see the number of commitments under each status.

The table below the bar chart lists all the framework’s commitments. Clicking on the status sections of the progress bars will automatically filter the table below to show a description of progress on commitments in each category with that status.

All commitments

This table includes all the Land Use Framework’s commitments. Click or tap on the filters and drop downs to change which are shown.

Click or tap on a commitment for more information on its progress status.

Scroll to read our summary and our recommendations on the most important next steps for Defra.

Progress status:

How is progress going?

Overview of progress

  • Just over six months since the release of the Land Use Framework, Defra has delivered on eight of its 79 commitments (ten per cent) and started work towards a further 37 (47 per cent). We have found no sign of headway on the remaining 34 (43 per cent).
  • So far, a significant share of progress has come from commitments made before the framework’s release, such as the Farming Roadmap 2050.
  • By the end of 2026, Defra will need to deliver on seven commitments due this year, including one that is already overdue.
  • As a first step, Defra should prioritise the delivery of datasets that will lay the groundwork for more strategic land use and rapidly translate these into action on the ground.

Delivered: some promising early wins

  • Defra has met eight of its 79 commitments (ten per cent). Although some work had begun ahead of the Land Use Framework, delivery includes the Farming Roadmap 2050 and the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The government has also published its Government Estate Nature Plan, setting out how it will manage its own land, and the National Soil Map for England and Wales (NATMAP), both commitments were due by the end of 2026.

Some progress: work is underway towards some of the framework’s most important commitments

  • Defra is making progress on around half of the framework’s commitments. This includes some groundwork for better spatial planning, such as setting up a Land Use Unit to develop a single map of national priorities across England and spatially targeting some measures under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). However, progress is rapidly needed to ensure meaningful progress on these commitments that will underpin a more strategic approach to influencing land use through policy.

No news: many commitments still appear untouched

  • We found no public evidence of progress on 34 commitments (43 per cent). This includes publishing a map of Defra’s expenditure on land management and nature recovery, and unlocking barriers to make it easier for farmers and land managers to combine public and private payments for sustainable practices.
  • Some of these commitments may be progressing behind the scenes, and Defra could secure some quick wins by sharing updates on any that are. The remainder will rely on delivery from Defra, alongside other organisations such as HM Land Registry and the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

What to watch: commitments due in 2026

  • Defra still needs to meet seven commitments due by the end of 2026. This increases to eight if we include the department’s promise to publish the assumptions that will underpin spatial targeting of the Sustainable Farming Incentive from 2027.
  • Progress is underway towards four of the outstanding commitments. However, there has been no update on a new national map of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs), the sharing of land ownership data for large properties, or the development of new options for land ownership reporting. A complete set of land use plans from all National Estate for Nature (NEN) members has been overdue since April 2026.

Our recommendations to Defra

Faced with so many commitments still to meet, Defra will need to make decisions about where it allocates resources. Based on progress to date, we recommend focusing on the following:

  • Rapidly get the foundations in place: Defra does not yet have all the data it needs to know where land use change could have the greatest benefit, or where it could trigger trade-offs. It should prioritise foundational datasets to inform this, including a map that brings together national priorities for land use, and set delivery timelines.
  • Understand how local action can add up to national success: Defra will need to combine national datasets with existing local and regional plans. It has committed to measure, by the end of 2026, how far LNRSs across England will support national nature recovery targets. But there is no evidence of progress towards this, and Defra should strive to keep delivery on schedule.
  • Transform plans into strategy: The government has committed to spatially targeting England’s agri-environment schemes, beginning with some measures through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) from 2027. Defra should fulfil its commitment to publish the analyses that will underpin this in 2026, allowing enough time to hear farmers’ feedback and develop a well functioning scheme.
  • Turn the framework into action: Looking ahead, Defra should step back from the individual commitments of the Land Use Framework and identify where achievement of its objectives will depend on wider government policy, such as increasing private sector investment in sustainable land management.

Read more about our recommendations in our blog ‘Six months on from the Land Use Framework, are we using England’s land strategically?’

Our methodology

How did we assess commitments and assign progress status?

Our assessment is based on publicly available information. For each commitment, we started by reviewing Defra’s latest progress update, published in July 2026. We then carried out desk-based research to assess the extent to which progress could be verified. This included reviewing webpages, reports, blogs and consultations published by Defra, other government departments and organisations Defra works with on the Land Use Framework. Progress status was assigned as follows:

  • Delivered: where there was substantiated evidence that the commitment was achieved, such as a government report or dataset.
  • Some progress: where there was evidence that at least some work is underway.
  • No news: where there is no public information demonstrating that work towards the commitment had begun.

Why do some of our progress status assessments differ from Defra’s own progress tracker?

Defra has committed to report on progress towards each Land Use Framework commitment. Their first, and most recent, update was published in July 2026. In some instances, where Defra has marked commitments as ‘in progress’, we have not been able to find any publicly available evidence of progress. We have assigned these commitments the status of ‘No news’. Some commitments have also progressed since Defra’s initial July 2026 update. Where we found evidence of progress or full delivery, this is reflected in our assessment.

Have we missed evidence? Let us know

The Land Use Framework covers many topics, so it is possible that we have missed some information. We intend to revisit the analysis and update this tracker every six months and welcome any relevant information you would like to share. Please keep in mind that the explanation accompanying each commitment is a summary of the information we have gathered.

If you have relevant information to contribute, please contact: Katie Jones, policy adviser at kjones@green-alliance.org.uk.