Flagship Bill sinking – or at least becalmed?
RSPB Chief Executive Beccy Speight satys:
[registration_form]The slow, stop-start nature of the Environment Bill’s passage does not help us take the rapid action needed to tackle the nature and climate emergency.
Our only hope is that this delay is used to improve the Bill. Environmental groups including the RSPB have made a series of measured and sensible improvements, such as legally binding targets to turn the tide on the loss of nature, and these should now be seriously considered.
These changes would help us get our own house in order at a time when the Prime Minister wants to show international leadership in the run-up to the key global biodiversity and climate summits later this year.
I’m not sure an Environmental bill is really a flagship one for this Tory government unless it is to flag up reductions in environmental protections.
Remember the COP26 conference on climate change is in Glasgow in November. My bet this is delayed so it can be announced close to the event. That means it will all be about the climate and won’t have much in the way of unrelated environment issues.