8 Ways The Government Has Slashed Its Own Environmental Promises
“Bounce back greener”, the “green recovery”, a government that will “lead that green industrial revolution”.
Boris Johnson’s verdant rhetoric in recent weeks – particularly in the wake of Covid-19 – certainly paints a picture of better days to come, with promises to prioritise climate change and to make the UK “a world leader in low-cost clean power generation”.
But how serious is he?
Campaigners point to a dire track record that has already plundered the environment more than saved it – and highlight “greenwash” legislation on the horizon.
“His government has voted down crucial amendments that would have tackled overfishing and protected our food standards from dodgy trade deals,” Greenpeace’s policy director Dr Doug Parr told HuffPost UK.
“For all the high-flown rhetoric about the green recovery, the UK government has spent 10 times less on it than France, and even less compared to Germany.
“The prime minister said that climate action should not become a victim of Covid but, for now, it looks like that’s exactly where we are.”
Here’s what we know about how the government is shaping up so far.
Environment Bill
The environment bill, a key piece of post-Brexit legislation described as “a truly landmark piece of legislation” by then environment secretary Theresa Villiers, has now not been seen in parliament for more than 200 days.
Its passage was paused in March as the pandemic set in, but despite other government business getting back underway and the clock ticking, the bill is nowhere to be seen.
The current government has talked a big game about its green ambitions – with the bill promising reform in air pollution, waste and resource efficiency, water management, and chemical controls.
It’s the first significant piece of environmental legislation for 20 years and would set the entire framework for how the UK combats climate change, from legal targets to a new governance system in the absence of the EU.