Schedule 2: Improving the natural environment: Northern Ireland Part 1: Environmental Improvement Plans Environmental monitoring
Paragraph 5 establishes a duty on the Department to obtain and publish data for the purpose of environmental improvement. The metrics will measure outcomes achieved through the implementation of the environmental improvement plan and inform updates to the plan.
	Sub-paragraph (1) establishes a duty on the Department to ensure that appropriate monitoring data is obtained to assess whether the natural environment (or elements of it) is improving in line with the current environmental improvement plan.
	Sub-paragraph (2) requires the Department to publish and lay a statement in the Northern Ireland Assembly explaining the types of data to be collected for the purposes identified in sub-paragraph (1).
	Sub-paragraph (3) requires the first statement under sub-paragraph (2) to be laid within four months of this Paragraph coming into force.
	Sub-paragraph (4) allows for changes to be made to the statement at any time. This may be necessary if it becomes clear to the Department that additional data is needed or that current measures do not adequately assess environmental improvement. Such a revised statement must also be published and laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	Sub-paragraph (5) requires the Department to publish any data that it obtains under sub-paragraph (1).