Luke Pollard MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, commenting on the government’s Environment Bill, said:

“Nothing in the Bill will stop the UK falling behind the EU on the environment. And Boris Johnson’s reckless approach to trade agreements looks set to undercut Britain’s environmental standards.

 

“Parliament declared a climate and environmental emergency nearly 9 months ago.  Fires have raged for months in Australia and the Amazon, glaciers are melting away in Antarctica.  Extreme weather, flooding and increasingly endangered wildlife cause increasing anxiety to British farmers and all of us, especially young people.

 

“This Bill does not come close to the urgent and decisive action the UK needs to take to show real global leadership.

 

“The government’s air quality plans have been ruled unlawful multiple times. But still the Bill fails to set enforceable targets to bring air pollution below the harmful levels set by the WHO.

 

“Tory cuts have stopped government agencies from protecting our environment and left councils struggling to tackle fly tipping and littering.

 

“Furthermore, there is nothing here to close the serious legal loophole Greenpeace identified in the last version.

 

“It’s clear the government isn’t serious about protecting the environment – they’re only interested in gimmicks.”