In the coming months CMS News will cover the progress of the Environment Bill – there will be lots of work to do if the Bill is to match the rhetoric from Government.
Emma Howard Boyd speaks at a Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum on environmental standards and the Office for Environmental Protection.
Feb 6th “Just over a year ago I spoke at this forum on this very same topic – the future of environmental standards, principles and governance. Back then the first draft of the environment bill had been unveiled and the first meaningful vote on Brexit had just been lost.
In some ways a lot has changed – last week we left the EU and the full Environment Bill was published by a new government.
But perhaps the biggest change is the sizeable and welcome shift in public concern about climate change and the natural environment. It was great to see the PM recognise this launching the Year of Climate Action on Tuesday. This can kick-start the decade of climate delivery that we need. Because the one thing that hasn’t changed is the urgent environmental challenges we face. A year ago I quoted tennis player Billie Jean King who said that pressure is a privilege.
Right now there are enormous pressures on our environment – I doubt nature sees it as a privilege.
Later this year the UK will host COP26 – in the run up the government has an incredible opportunity to show the bold leadership required to begin to ease the pressure. It has already started with the legal commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050 last year.”