The window to halt the degradation of England's natural environment is closing fast, the environment watchdog says, as its latest report finds the government has failed to meet most targets to improve the environment.

However, some of Labour's actions, including setting up a water commission and writing a new environmental improvement plan, were praised in the Office for Environmental Protection's (OEP) annual review of how the government meets legally binding environmental targets.

Glenys Stacey, chair of the OEP, said: "As time goes by, the window of opportunity to correct environmental harm is closing, while the effort and costs required are increasing. If this government is to meet its legal obligations, it must act urgently and decisively action to catch up.

"Catching up is about not just developing plans but implementing them fully and effectively. In a few years it will be making several legally binding commitments. The window of opportunity is closing rapidly."

The OEP was formed in the wake of Brexit. It holds the government accountable under the Environment Act 2021, which was passed to replace EU law. The EU can sanction member states if they fall behind on environmental standards, but this is the only way to hold ministers to account once Britain leaves the bloc.

The OEP's assessment of the government's prospects for achieving 43 environmental goals and commitments found that nine are on track to be achieved, 12 are partially on track, and 20 are largely off track. Partially on track means the government will miss its target, but progress has been made. Two targets could not be assessed due to insufficient evidence. Last year, the government was basically on track to achieve 4 goals, partially on track to achieve 11 goals, but largely failed to achieve 10 goals.

The improvements were mainly in terms of pollution. Air pollutants such as PM2.5 have declined, and water pollutants such as phosphorus are taking active action. There are also signs that the decline in species richness is slowing.

Areas of concern include the marine environment, achieving "flora and wildlife flourishing" and overall biodiversity trends. OEP chief scientist Robbie McDonald said the oceans around England were likely to miss the target of being in good ecological condition by 2027 due to pressures such as overfishing and pollution.

The previous government established marine protected areas (MPAs), but destructive practices such as bottom trawling have not stopped. "We should have taken action to stop destructive behavior in marine protected areas," McDonald said. "This needs to happen now."

The report also highlights the importance of properly funding and regulating nature reserves in England, such as sites of special scientific interest and national landscapes. However, funding to protect these areas could be cut in the upcoming spending review.

The report also says that if nature is to be healed, nature-friendly agricultural programs need to be strengthened. "There aren't too many quick wins, but we will always focus on the importance of getting nature-friendly agriculture right," McDonald said. "Anything the government can do to promote the creation of farmer networks to drive large-scale nature restoration, we think This should be prioritized."

The report points out that farmers are almost the only driver of increased reforestation, as the Tree Action Plan for England, which supported the expansion of woodland, ended last year. While agricultural schemes "are expected to be the main vehicle for tree planting, the government cannot rely solely on these," the report said.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "After years of failure, nature across the UK is suffering. This report is absolutely right to say that the window to tackle the problem is closing.

“That’s why the Government is taking urgent action to put nature on the road to recovery, something the OEP welcomes.”