Greener UK   ‘Tentative progress on plastics and ‘green Brexit’ held back by absence of environment watchdog Environmentalists argue that improvements in plastics, agriculture and chemicals policy are tempered by continuing uncertainty over how environmental laws will be enforced after Brexit. 

Tentative progress on plastics and ‘green Brexit’ held back by absence of environment watchdog Environmentalists argue that improvements in plastics, agriculture and chemicals policy are tempered by continuing uncertainty over how environmental laws will be enforced after Brexit A coalition of 13 major environmental organisations has today found that government is making tentative progress on its ‘green Brexit’ plans, but that improvements will be undone if the government doesn’t put in place a strong green watchdog to enforce laws after exit day [1].

The results are published in the fourth edition of Greener UK’s Brexit ‘Risk Tracker’, a scorecard rating the government’s progress on protecting the environment during Brexit. It suggests notable improvement from the last analysis in January [2]. The waste & resources category has improved from a red to amber rating, largely due to the government’s increasingly tough attitude towards waste – including its decisions to reverse its opposition to new EU recycling targets. From consulting on banning plastic straws to promising a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, the government is demonstrating post-Brexit ambition [3]. Similarly, the chemicals rating has improved from red to amber, with the government pledging in March to seek ‘associate membership’ of the EU chemicals regime, REACH, which has the most comprehensive database of chemicals worldwide [4].’

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