Corporate report

Environment Agency corporate scorecard 2020 to 2021 - quarter four

Published 25 August 2021

The Environment Agency corporate scorecard shows a high level overview of our performance against our environmental and business aims.

We update the Environment Agency’s executive directors and the board on the corporate scorecard progress every 3 months. Our corporate scorecard enables us to monitor how well we are achieving our stated aims as set out in the Environment Agency action plan. We also share this with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Corporate scorecard 2020 to 2021 quarter (Q) 4 starts 1 January 2021 and ends 31 March 2021. The year end is 31 March 2021.

1. Corporate scorecard summary page

The Environment Agency use a red amber green system to see how we are performing at a glance. They are:

• green which means we are performing at or above the target(s) set
• amber which means we are falling slightly short of the target
• red which means there are improvements to be made

This table shows the red, amber green scores for the 13 measures plus the actual and target figures.

1.1 A nation resilient to climate change

By 2025 we will have created more climate resilient places and infrastructure, by ensuring the nation is prepared for flooding, coastal change and drought

Measure title	Units	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target	Q4 status
We reduce the risk of flooding for more households (Defra)	Number of households better protected	314,361	300,000	300,000	Green
We maintain our flood and costal risk management assets at or above the target condition (Defra)	% of high risk assets at target condition	94.5%	98%	98%	Red

By 2025 we will be a stronger leader on climate adaptation and resilience, encouraging others to act now on the climate emergency

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
We will deliver our strategic adaptation actions to tackle the climate emergency (Defra)	Actions	72%	90%	90% minimum	Red

By 2025 we will be a recognised and trusted incident management organisation responding rapidly to environmental emergencies to protect people and the environment

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
We have a first class incident response capability - number of staff trained and ready to respond to incidents (Defra)	Number of people	6,408	6,000	6,000	Green

1.2 Healthy air, land and water

By 2025 our air will be cleaner and healthier

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
Air quality is improving - Monitor the reductions across 5 priority pollutants: NOX (Oxides of Nitrogen), SOX (Oxides of Sulphur), NMVOC (Non-methane volatile organic compound), NH3 (Ammonia) and Particulates in the refineries sector (Defra)	% reduction grams per tonne	421.56 SOX 236.24 NOX	<431 SOX / <203 NOX	<431 SOX / <203 NOX	Amber

By 2025 our rivers, lakes, groundwater and coasts will have better water quality and will be better places for people and wildlife

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
Our rivers and coasts have better water quality and are better places for wildlife. (Defra)	Kilometres (km)	4,551	3,900	3,900	Green

By 2025 our air, land and water is better protected and enhanced

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
We increase biodiversity and encourage an environmental net gain by creating more and better habitats for the benefit of people and wildlife (Defra)	Hectares (ha) created and habitat restored	1,897	1,200	1,200 Hectares total	Green

1.3 Green growth and a sustainable future

By 2025 we will achieve cleaner growth by supporting businesses and communities to make good choices, through our roles as a regulator, adviser, operator and enabler

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
We successfully influence planning decisions by local authorities	% decision notices successfully influenced	97.8%	97.0%	97.0%	Green

By 2025 we will have cut waste crime and helped develop a circular economy

Measure title	Units	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target	Q4 status
We reduce the number of high risk illegal waste sites (Defra)	Number of high waste sites	206	216	216	Green

By 2025 we will be on track to deliver our sustainable business commitments, including to be net zero by 2030

Measure title	Units	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target	Q4 status
A carbon net zero organisation by 2030 (Defra)	Tonnes of carbon	21,406	28,780	28,780	Green

1.4 Enabling outcomes: life enhancing organisation - how we will deliver our actions: our people and our values

Measure title	Units	Q4 year to date actual	Q4 year to date target	Year end target	Q4 year to date status
We manage our money efficiently	% spend on budget	96%	100%	100%	Amber
We have a diverse workforce: a) The proportion of our staff are from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)	% of workforce	4.5%	14%	14%	Red
We have a diverse workforce: b) The proportion of our executive managers who are female	% of executive manager workforce	44%	50%	50%	Red
We have the lowest possible lost time incident (LTI) frequency rate	LTI frequency rate per 100,000 hours	0.10	0.11	0.11	Green

Key: (Defra) this measure is reported to Defra on the Defra scorecard

2. We reduce the risk from flooding to more households

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Cumulative target	Year end target
Green	314,361	300,000	300,000

Commentary

This quarter we have better protected 43,916 homes through 116 separate projects. This brings the cumulative total since April 2015 to 314,361, which exceeds the target of 300,000.

We have exceeded the target in achieving the government’s £2.6 billion investment in flood and coastal defence schemes since 2015. Along with our partners we have completed more than 850 projects to better protect over 300,000 homes, thousands of businesses and major pieces of infrastructure.

The scheme that protected the most homes during quarter 4 was Humber: Hull Frontage in Yorkshire. This is a £42 million project which will better protect 11,344 homes in the city of Hull from the devastation of tidal surges which caused flooding to hundreds of properties in 2013.

Houses protected

2020/21 programme cumulative target = (300,000)

Quarter	Total
Q1 2018/19	144,210
Q2 2018/19	146,274
Q3 2018/19	155,385
Q4 2018/19	193,604
Q1 2019/20	195,255
Q2 2019/20	200,425
Q3 2019/20	203,769
Q4 2019/20	242,343
Q1 2020/21	244,755
Q2 2020/21	250,531
Q3 2020/21	270,445
Q4 2020/21	314,361

3. We maintain our flood and coastal risk management assets at or above the target condition

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Target	Green	Year end target
Red	94.5%	98%	Red	98%

Commentary

At the end of the 2020 to 2021 financial year, 94.5% of assets nationally were at required condition against the 2020 to 2021 published target of 98%. Currently 11 of 14 areas are more than 1% below the national target. This position is a consequence of increased asset damage during significant flood events in 2020 and early 2021. This has been further affected by COVID-19 restrictions on work plans. Asset condition is reducing because current maintenance funding is not sufficient to keep up with the rate of deterioration and the increasing number of assets. We propose to bid for additional funding in the government’s next spending review.

For 2020 to 2021 the government provided £120 million of additional funding for asset repairs. We have prioritised the maintenance of the highest risk assets and the implementation of risk mitigation measures and contingency plans for our assets.

Where assets are below their required condition this identifies that work is required, this does not mean that they have structurally failed or that performance in a flood is compromised. If the performance of an asset is reduced, we will take action to ensure that flood risk is effectively managed until the asset is fully repaired or replaced.

Quarter	% Actual (rounded)	% Target
2017/18	97.7%	97.5%
Q1 18/19	97.2%	97.5%
Q2 18/19	96.9%	97.5%
Q3 18/19	96.8%	97.5%
Q4 18/19	97.9%	97.5%
Q1 19/20	97.2%	97.5%
Q2 19/20	96.9%	97.5%
Q3 19/20	96.2%	98%
Q4 19/20	96.1%	98%
Q1 20/21	95.8%	98%
Q2 20/21	95.2%	98%
Q3 20/21	95%	98%
Q4 20/21	94.5	98%

Number of high consequence assets passing

At or above required target condition (Environment Agency)	Below required target condition (Environment Agency)
31,122	1,813

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Repairing and maintaining flood defence assets remain a corporate priority during the current pandemic	Deputy Director, Asset Performance and Engineering	Ongoing
Ensuring mitigation measures are in place for below required condition assets to manage risk, pending repairs	Deputy Director, Asset Management Operations	Ongoing
Reducing the backlog of asset repair assessments during quarter 4	Deputy Director, Asset Management Operations	Ongoing

4. We will deliver our strategic adaptation actions to tackle the climate emergency

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target
Red	72%	90%	90%

Commentary

We have made significant advancement towards our actions to prepare for climate change recorded in our second adaptation report. We have not met our target to complete 90% of actions by the end of 5 years (April 2021). This is due to a variety of reasons:

• the significant effect of COVID-19
• approximately a quarter of actions effected by other factors
• actions set in 2016 were obsolete or superseded by new commitments due to a change of national policy priorities

The second adaptation report provided a snapshot of our goals in 2016, but doesn’t capture everything that the Environment Agency has done on adaptation since then. It doesn’t include many of our new and current business adaptation activities (for example our national adaptation programme actions or evidence and data work).

As we move to the next reporting period, we have completed our assessment of climate risks and are drawing them together into our third adaptation report. This report appraises which actions to carry forward and includes actions from the national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England. We will publish the third adaptation report in summer 2021. We will use this report, alongside other key indicators of our adaptation work to develop a new set of actions to monitor our development in the coming years.

Quarter	% Actual	% Target
Q4 2019/21	76	90
Q2 2020/21	70	90
Q4 2020/21	72	90

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Continue with restart after COVID-19, resuming adaptation work	Adaptation leads	Ongoing
Concentrate our efforts on our new adaptation report, ensuring that residual risks are picked up and a suite of ambitious actions are developed to manage it	Executive Director of Environment and Business	31/03/2022
Continue to consider climate change adaptation in our plans, policies and programmes	Executive Director of Environment and Business	Ongoing
Develop our collaborative action plan for the national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy by April 2021	Executive Director of flood and coastal erosion risk management	Ongoing

5. We have a first class incident response capability

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target
Green	6,408	6,000	6,000

Commentary

We estimate there are approximately 6,408 trained and capable incident staff ready to respond to incidents. This is 107% of the 6,000 target.

Local area incident teams provide a tactical first response to incidents, this has enhanced our status as a professional trusted emergency responder. We have also introduced a clear accreditation training pathway for key incident roles. In 2021 to 2022 we will use a new measure that will better gauge the resilience of our capability: the proportion of our people who are trained to work on incidents, who are rostered over the year.

We also continue to maintain around 800 people in training who will contribute to our trained and ready workforce, as they become capable and confident in their roles.

Number of staff who are trained and ready to respond to incidents

Quarter	Number
2017 Jan - Mar	6,716
2018 Jan - Mar	6,568
2018 Apr - Jun	6,568
2018 Jul - Sep	6,507
2018 Oct - Dec	6,698
2019 Jan - Mar	6,657
2019 Apr - Jun	6,548
2019 Jul - Sep	6,460
2019 Oct - Dec	6,501
2020 Jan - Mar	6,541
2020 Apr - Jun	6,553
2020 Jul - Sep	6,542
2020 Oct - Dec	6,479
2021 Jan – Mar	6,408

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
We introduced a new shadow measure this year to complement the number of trained staff and show the number of incident staff who have been active over the past quarter. This will give greater insight into the proportion of trained staff that has responded to incidents. During January, February and March, we estimate approximately 3,861 (60%) of trained incident staff have been used. This measure will be used from quarter one 2021 to 2022 reporting.	Deputy Director Incident Management and Resilience	30/06/2021
Design and implement new core and surge incident response model to arrange our incident staff pool more effectively.	Director Incident Management and Resilience	01/10/2023

6. Air quality is improving

6.1 Monitor the reductions across 5 priority pollutants: NOX, SOX, NMVOC, NH3 and particulates in the refineries sector (Defra)

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target (grams per tonne)	Year end target
Amber	421.56 SOX and 236.24 NOX	<431 Target SOX and <203 Target NOX	<431 Target SOX and <203 Target NOX

Commentary

Emissions of sulphur dioxides and nitrogen oxides are trending below the 2017 baseline. The figures have been reduced due to revised limits in environmental permits during 2018.

Sulphur dioxide emissions per tonne of oil processed have reduced by more than 10% and met the target. Although there has been a reduction in the total quantity of nitrogen oxides emitted from the refineries sector, this has not been enough to meet our 10% reduction target. Lower demand for the oil refineries’ products during the pandemic may have led to reduced production efficiencies.

We will carry out audits of emissions to understand why the expected reductions have occurred for one pollutant, but not the other.

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Include emissions audits in the refineries sector plan	Refineries and fuel sector lead, Environment and Business	Ongoing

7. Our rivers and coasts have better water quality and are better places for wildlife

Q4 Status	Q4 actual (km)	Q4 target	Year end target (km)
Green	4,551	3,900	3,900

Commentary

Quarter 4 saw 322 km of enhancements to rivers, lakes and groundwaters, a significant achievement given COVID-19 restrictions. This year (April 2020 to March 2021) a total of 4,551 km of the water environment has been enhanced. This brings the total to over 11,000 km enhanced since the updated publication of the 2015 river basin management plans. This exceeds the overall target of 8,000 km by December 2021.

Kilometres enhanced is an important metric within the Environment Agency’s wider work on improving water quality. It shows the results of our and our partners work to reduce known problems in the water environment. Multiple actions and interventions are needed to obtain the outcomes we want to see.

Key enhancements made this year include work on preventing pollution, abstraction and flow challenges and invasive species:

• installation of an elver pass on flood gates in Eastbourne, Sussex, opening up 9.5 km of river for this internationally important protected species
• environment officers in North Devon have brought 55 km of enhancements through a targeted farm campaign to reduce diffuse pollution
• improvements at sewage treatment works and pumping stations across Lincolnshire, West Midlands and Yorkshire have collectively enhanced a further 10.5 km of watercourse

Partnerships like the Ribble Life Together Farm Advice and Improvement project have advised and supported farmers with:

• stewardship
• improving farming practices through concrete yard renewal
• farmyard manure store construction
• water course fencing and tree planting

In addition, 88 km of rivers and groundwaters have been protected from deterioration:

• removal and treatment of highly invasive non-native species Floating Pennywort on the River Nene in Northamptonshire
• introduction of ‘hands off’ flow conditions to abstraction licences in Yorkshire

Kilometres of rivers, lakes and coastal waters enhanced this year

Quarter	Actual km	Target km
Q1 2018/19	1,044	1,014
Q2 2018/19	1,213	1,345
Q3 2018/19	1,426	1,602
Q4 2018/19	1,719	2,000
Q1 2019/20	951	970
Q2 2019/20	1,489	1,816
Q3 2019/20	1,575	1,972
Q4 2019/20	1,753	2,300
Q1 2020/21	31	3,900
Q2 2020/21	4,193	1,509
Q3 2020/21	4,230	3,445
Q4 2020/21	4,551	3,900

Insight cumulative totals

Quarter	Actual km	Target km
Q1 2018/19	4,314	3,745
Q2 2018/19	4,483	4,076
Q3 2018/19	4,696	4,333
Q4 2018/19	4,989	4,731
Q1 2019/20	5,939	5,959
Q2 2019/20	6,479	6,805
Q3 2019/20	6,565	6,961
Q4 2019/20	6,742	7,289
Q1 2020/21	6,774	7,389
Q2 2020/21	10,967	8,000
Q3 2020/21	11,004	8,000
Q4 2020/21	11,292	8,000

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Set a new target and prepare for continuation of reporting km enhanced when the current reporting cycle finishes in December 2021	Integrated Environmental Planning team and Learning and Development team	31/12/2021

8. We increase biodiversity and promote an environmental net gain by creating more and better habitats for the benefit of people and wildlife

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target
Green	1,897	1,200	1,200 Hectares (ha)

Quarter	Hectares created	Target
2014/15	1,869	700
2015/16	575	300
2016/17	424	400
2017/18	619	530
2018/19	460	410
2019/20	3,147	1,280
2020/21	1,897	1,200

Commentary

Despite a difficult year for priority habitat creation and restoration projects our local teams have exceeded expectations. Working with our partners we created 744 ha of new priority habitat and restored a further 1,153 ha. Blanket bog made up the majority of our contribution this year with 447 ha created from degraded or eroding peat and a further 835 ha restored.

Since 2010 to 2011 we have created a total of 8,353 ha of new priority habitat against a challenging ambition of 10,000 ha towards the aims of biodiversity 2020. We have also restored another 11,316 ha of similar habitat types in that time.

9. We successfully influence planning decisions by local planning authorities

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target
Green	97.8%	97%	97%

Commentary

Performance at year end was green with 97.8% against a target of 97%. In quarter 4 there were 11 applications not determined in line with our advice, 3 of which were for major development.

Unfortunately, one of these applications was for a large mixed use development which included 476 residential units formed within 39 blocks. The ground floors of these developments weren’t sited above the 1% annual exceedance probability level and therefore will be at greater risk of flooding once constructed. It is unusual for large developments to be approved contrary to our advice on flood risk. We will be working with the relevant local planning authority to understand the reason for this decision and to try and avoid it happening again in the future. Of the other 7 objections, 6 related to inadequate flood risk assessments. We objected to one application on water quality grounds where a proposed pig farm had not provided any details on how slurry would be contained and managed. There were 2 further planning applications where conditions we asked to be included as part of the decision were not. In both instances the conditions related to land contamination issues.

Our monitoring this quarter shows how working with developers and local planning authorities has helped resolve significant environmental issues that could otherwise have led to 123 planning applications. These had the potential to create over 8,500 new residential units, being refused. These residential developments, once built, will help contribute over £130 million to UK economic output. Whilst recognising that we are one of several consultees who provide advice into the planning process, this represents an excellent return on investment.

Quarter	Total
2016/17	97.4%
2017/18	96.7%
Q1 2018/19	97.2%
Q2 2018/19	97.8%
Q3 2018/19	97.2%
Q4 2018/19	97.2%
Q1 2019/20	97.5%
Q2 2019/20	96.5%
Q3 2019/20	96.3%
Q4 2019/20	96.3%
Q1 2020/21	97.6%
Q2 2020/21	97.4%
Q3 2020/21	97.4%
Q4 2020/21	97.8%

10. We reduce the number of high risk illegal waste sites

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Q4 target	Year end target
Green	206	216	216

Commentary

In quarter 4:

• high risk sites have been reduced by 12 (compared to Q3)
• active illegal waste sites were reduced by 106 (compared to Q3)
• 95 sites were stopped (78 fewer compared to Q3)
• 80 new sites this quarter (21 of them high risk)

Our continued work on data quality has had a positive result on our illegal waste site numbers. However, we are beginning to understand the affect that COVID-19 has had on our work and we anticipate that the numbers may not reduce at the same rate over the upcoming quarters.

Quarter	Total	Ceiling target
Baseline	380	380
Q4 17/18	259	223
Q1 18/19	255	254
Q2 18/09	260	240
Q3 18/09	233	219
Q4 18/19	250	196
Q1 19/20	260	196
Q2 19/20	264	196
Q3 19/20	255	196
Q4 19/20	233	196
Q1 20/21	250	233
Q2 20/21	237	227
Q3 20/21	218	222
Q4 20/21	206	216

11. A carbon net zero organisation by 2030 (Defra)

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Ceiling target	Year end target
Green	21,406	28,780	28,780

Commentary

By the end of 2020 to 2021, we achieved 74% of our carbon emission reduction target for the year. We have seen a significant 32% reduction (nearly 10,000 tonnes less) in our overall direct carbon emissions compared to last year. This is primarily due to the effect of the pandemic on our travel and buildings emissions.

We have seen a 22% reduction in our buildings carbon emission compared to last year. As a result of the required increased ventilation needed to stay in line with COVID-19 work safe protocols, savings from electricity and gas were less than initially expected.

Our emissions from business travel have decreased by 48% compared to last year. Due to COVID-19 related working from home and travel restrictions, we have seen a significant reduction in our travel mileage and associated emissions. As lockdown restrictions ease, we need to do our best to ‘bank’ these reductions and avoid a return to 2019 to 2020 levels of emissions, as we design our future blended working.

The biggest contribution to our direct carbon this year has been our operational assets, making up nearly 50% of our emissions. Emissions from our pumping activities are 21% lower than last year. This is mainly due to reduced use of the Ely-Ouse Water Transfer Scheme in quarter 3 and quarter 4.

Our emissions from laboratories (labs) have reduced by 21% compared to last year. The labs have been open throughout most of lockdown, to provide a service for Category 1 pollutions and the provision of the COVID-19 waste water project. A lot of the equipment used for routine analysis has been turned off which has resulted in lower emissions than in a normal year. However, our labs have been operating around the clock, consuming additional energy and emitting carbon as part of the waste water project.

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Approval of the recommendations in the executive directors team (EDT) net zero paper of 21/01/2021 to ensure ongoing implementation in 2021 to 2022	EDT oversight, sustainable business team	Ongoing

12. We manage our money efficiently

Q4 status	Q4 actual - £million	Q4 budget - £million	Year end target
Amber	£1,563m	£1,630m	96%

Commentary

The Environment Agency has a major capital and resource programme of investment projects. We conduct a detailed planning process in order to ensure appropriate prioritisation of these investments. We are subject to a series of financial and governance controls. This both protects this investment and provides a logistical challenge in carrying through the programme of expenditure. As expenditure is a representation for carrying out environmental outcomes, this measure is therefore inextricably linked to most of the other scorecard measures.

We have invested £1.6 billion on the environment in 2020 to 2021, around 20% above the level of investment in 2019 to 2020. This is a reflection of significant additional flood and water asset funding allocations confirmed in spring 2020. Actual spending levels for 2020 to 2021 were below budget. This is due to the challenges running a large capital programme during a pandemic, along with additional funding received prior to the start of the financial year. However, our core flood capital programme has successfully achieved the 300,000 homes better protected target across the 6 year programme of capital investment between 2015 and 2021.

In 2021 to 2022 we will see an increased level in core capital FCRM programme funding which will be a challenge to achieve. However, we do not expect to see disruption like that experienced in 2020 to 2021. We are increasing our effort on early forecasting during financial year 2021 to 2022, as this is critical to achieving full investment of funding for the year and beyond. The Environment Agency is also being restructured under the Fit for 2025 programme to help achieve this bigger programme.

Cumulative expenditure against YTD budget (%)

Quarter	Total
Q1 18/19	97%
Q2 18/19	99%
Q3 18/19	99%
Q4 18/19	100%
Q1 19/20	95%
Q2 19/20	93%
Q3 19/20	96%
Q4 19/20	100%
Q1 20/21	103%
Q2 20/21	93%
Q3 20/21	96%
Q4 20/21	96%

Cumulative expenditure against YTD budget (£million)

Quarter	Planned profiled cumulative expenditure (£million)	Actual cumulative expenditure (£million)
Q1 18/19	£272	£264
Q2 18/19	£566	£558
Q3 18/19	£865	£857
Q4 18/19	£1,227	£1,227
Q1 19/20	£286	£273
Q2 19/20	£618	£574
Q3 19/20	£926	£892
Q4 19/20	£1,305	£1,303
Q1 20/21	£304	£313
Q2 20/21	£707	£654
Q3 20/21	£1,117	£1,073
Q4 20/21	£1,630	£1,563

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Annual report and accounts for 2020 to 2021 to be prepared for audit by National Audit Office (NAO) sign off by directors and laying before Parliament	Director of Finance	Q2 2021 to 2022

13. We have a diverse workforce

The proportion of our staff who are from a black, asian and minority ethnic background (BAME %)

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Target	Year end target
Red	4.5%	14%	14%

Commentary

In quarter 4 the proportion of BAME employees in the Environment Agency stood at 4.5%, marginally higher than in quarter 3. Our target for 2020 to 2021 remains 14%. This target will be reviewed in March 2022 when initial 2021 census data should be available. In quarter 4, 2 (3%) of our 63 external recruits, and 8 (5%) of our 154 leavers were from BAME backgrounds.

We are working on a refreshed Environment Agency equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy and EDI action plan. This will further support our previously launched race action plan (RAP). It will set out our EDI ambition along with clear actions and measures of success that support the entire organisation to be truly inclusive.

Within the RAP, we are working on actions for retention and recruitment. We are using management information and results from the recent race survey to inform changes. This will produce intersectional benefits for all protected characteristics. We have rolled out mandatory e-learning on creating a respectful workplace and are now working on the ‘Big Conversation’ on race as a critical foundation building action for the RAP. We are providing initial training and working with executive managers, line managers and race ambassadors, the BAME network and other relevant networks. This is to create the conditions for success before releasing the first ‘learning burst’ for team discussions on let’s talk about race to line managers in June.

BAME staff as % of all staff

2020 target = 14%

Quarter	Total
Q2 2016/17	3.7%
Q3 2016/17	3.7%
Q4 2016/17	3.8%
Q1 2017/18	4.0%
Q2 2017/18	4.0%
Q3 2017/18	3.8%
Q4 2017/18	3.8%
Q1 2018/19	3.9%
Q2 2018/19	4.0%
Q3 2018/19	4.0%
Q4 2018/19	4.1%
Q1 2019/20	4.3%
Q2 2019/20	4.3%
Q3 2019/20	4.3%
Q4 2019/20	4.4%
Q1 2020/21	4.4%
Q2 2020/21	4.5%
Q3 2020/21	4.4%
Q4 2020/21	4.5%

The proportion of our executive managers who are female

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Target	Year end target
Red	44%	50%	50%

Commentary

The percentage of executive managers (EMs) who are female is 44% (40), slightly more than the 43% at quarter 3 2020 to 2021. Headcount has risen from 40 to 41 out of a total EM headcount of 93. The percentage of grade 7 employees who are female has remained at 34% (181) and the percentage has changed little over the last 3 years. This compares to a target of 50%.

Although our race and gender levels are below targets, they are the highest ever and we will increase momentum through a more targeted approach and increased resources.

Proportion of executive managers (EMs) who are female %

2020 target = 50%

Quarter	Total
Q2 2016/17	36%
Q3 2016/17	34%
Q4 2016/17	37%
Q1 2017/18	38%
Q2 2017/18	37%
Q3 2017/18	35%
Q4 2017/18	34%
Q1 2018/19	34%
Q2 2018/19	34%
Q3 2018/19	34%
Q4 2018/19	35%
Q1 2019/20	41%
Q2 2019/20	41%
Q3 2019/20	41%
Q4 2019/20	43%
Q1 2020/21	44%
Q2 2020/21	42%
Q3 2020/21	43%
Q4 2020/21	44%

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Unconscious bias training for interview	Executive Director FCRM	Ongoing
Development programmes and coaching for BAME staff		Ongoing
Development programmes and coaching for female staff		Ongoing
Active support for Brunel and associated engagement initiatives		Ongoing

14. We have the lowest possible lost time incident (LTI) frequency rate

Q4 status	Q4 actual	Ceiling rate	Forecast	Year end target
Green	0.10	0.11		0.11

Commentary

Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate (LTIFR) is a universally accepted indicator of health and safety performance. We define lost time incidents as work related injuries resulting in a day or more lost time. Using such a conservative definition, plus a very low ceiling of 0.11 injuries per 100,000 hours worked, creates a very challenging aim for our overall health safety and wellbeing (HSW) performance.

In quarter 4 we experienced a tragic fatality. This is under investigation and any outcomes may influence future health and safety management in the Environment Agency. Otherwise we saw a stabilisation of normal activities in the field, as most office work continued to be done at home. The number and type of incidents still remains influenced by the change in working patterns due to COVID-19. Nonetheless we can understand more from this data compared to recent quarters and consider this a realistic representation of our performance.

Lost time incident frequency rate

12 month rolling average

Quarter	Number
July 2018	0.18
August 2018	0.17
September 2018	0.16
October 2018	0.16
November 2018	0.13
December 2018	0.13
January 2019	0.14
February 2019	0.13
March 2019	0.13
April 2019	0.12
May 2019	0.13
June 2019	0.11
July 2019	0.11
August 2019	0.10
September 2019	0.11
October 2019	0.09
November 2019	0.09
December 2019	0.09
January 2020	0.13
February 2020	0.13
March 2020	0.13
April 2020	0.13
May 2020	0.13
June 2020	0.12
July 2020	0.09
August 2020	0.09
September 2020	0.10
October 2020	0.08
November 2020	0.07
December 2020	0.08
January 2021	0.10
February 2021	0.10
March 2021	0.10

Number of LTIs

Quarter	Number
Q1 2016/17	4
Q2 2016/17	6
Q3 2016/17	5
Q4 2016/17	4
Q1 2017/18	7
Q2 2017/18	6
Q3 2017/18	13
Q4 2017/18	6
Q1 2018/19	6
Q2 2018/19	5
Q3 2018/19	6
Q4 2018/19	6
Q1 2019/20	5
Q2 2019/20	5
Q3 2019/20	7
Q4 2019/20	3
Q1 2020/21	1
Q2 2020/21	9
Q3 2020/21	3
Q4 2020/21	8

Actions

Action(s)	Owner(s)	Deadline(s)
Implement the health, safety and wellbeing plan for 2020 to 2021	Chief Operating Officer	Ongoing
Implement the recommendations from the Shepperton lessons learned review	Chief Operating Officer	Ongoing