A number of constituents have written to me with an
email entitled “Nature needs you - help shape the Environment Bill.”
There is a growing concern over our environment and
I welcome growing public awareness of the issues we face. I have long since
been a supporter of various environmental groups and welcome further
interest.
I am proud that a great deal of work has and is
being done in this space by Government. It’s an agenda I have been particularly
involved with and I wanted to share some of the progress with you. While there
have been great strides forward I recognise that there is much more to do and
the urgency of going even further is vital.
Importantly, the Government has committed to
leaving the environment in a better state than we found it and the 25 Year
Environment Plan sets out a framework to enable this. It includes tackling the
scourge of plastic, delivering cleaner air and water and crucially using the
opportunity Brexit provides to develop our own bespoke agricultural and
fisheries policies with a more sustainable focus.
Key Environmental achievements:
•
Banning plastic microbeads in personal care and cosmetic products; these
include face scrubs, soaps, toothpaste and shower gels. Just one shower was
sending 100,000 microbeads down the drain and into the ocean, causing serious
harm to marine life).
•
Ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds and a deposit return scheme for
single-use plastics that is underway and subject to consultation.
•
Introducing a 5p charge on single-use plastic bags: This has reduced their use
by 85% - with each person on average now using 25 bags a year compared to 140
before the charge came into effect.
•
Doubling the maximum fine for littering to £150: For the first time, local
authorities can also use these littering penalties against vehicle owners if it
can be proved litter was thrown from their car.
•
Our Resources & Waste strategy: will end confusion over recycling and
tackle problem packaging by making polluters pay.
•
Create a Northern Forest from Liverpool to Hull with the aim of planting 50
million trees over 25 years: Spanning more than 120 miles between the cities of
Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, the proposed Northern Forest will
help boost habitats for woodland birds and bats and protect iconic species such
as the red squirrel.
•
Securing extra protection for precious Ancient Woodland and veteran trees: New
planning rules have at last given ancient trees and woods the highest possible
protection from development.
•
Protecting our bees and other pollinators by helping secure an EU-wide ban on
neonicotinoids pesticides: The UK voted in favour of the proposals that will
see a ban on outdoor use of three neonicotinoids - Clothianidin, Imidacloprid
and Thiamethoxam.
•
Creating 41 new Marine Conservation Zones around the UK: Safeguarding almost
12,000 square kilometres of marine habitats and marking the most significant
expansion of the UK’s ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas to date.
•
Internationally protecting marine habitats with a Blue Belt to protect an area
the size of India, including recently protecting 4m sq. kms of pristine waters
around Ascension Island.
It is clear that tackling climate change is at the
forefront of many people’s minds and I am pleased this is being taken extremely
seriously by the government. Working with the Climate Change Committee,
Government is taking advice on achieving net zero emissions across the economy.
Many MPs have pushed for this with strong support from their constituencies.
Tackling Climate Change:
•
The UK has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25% since 2010, faster than any
other G20 country.
•
The UK was the first country to phase out coal by 2020.
•
Invested £52 billion in renewable energy since 2010 with 400,000 people now
working in low Carbon businesses.
•
2018 was the cleanest and greenest year with renewable resources supplying a
third of our electricity, up from just over 6% in 2009.
•
The Government has established the International Climate Fund (ICF) to provide
£5.8 billion to help the world's poorest adapt to climate change and promote
cleaner, greener economic growth.
•
Encouraging Greener Homes by bringing an end to fossil fuel heating systems in
all new houses by 2025 and ensuring new housing developments deliver
environmental improvements locally and nationally by using the
‘net-environmental gain principle.’
As we exit the EU, there is an exciting opportunity
to rethink our land use policy through the Agriculture Bill ensuring farmers
are paid for the delivery of public goods. The Fisheries Bill will ensure we
have a sustainable fishing industry post-Brexit.
In a game-changing moment, demonstrating this
Government’s true commitment to the environment, the Chancellor announced a
whole range of measures in the recent Spring Statement. Foremost is a new
global review to assess the economic value of biodiversity globally so we know
what action is needed to take to restore our precious environment which has
suffered such a catastrophic decline in recent decades. This could do for the
Environment what the Stern Report did for Climate Change. In addition, we will
enhance environmental standards through the forthcoming Environment Bill and
establish a world-leading, green governance body – the Office for Environmental
Protection – to uphold environmental legislation.
Tackling poor air quality through the Clean Air
Strategy; banning petrol and diesel cars by 2040, investing millions in greener
public transport, electric and hydrogen vehicles.
The Government is demonstrating a genuine
commitment to leaving the Environment in a better state than we found it.
Whilst many positive steps have been taken, I realise there is much more to do
and the urgency of addressing this has certainly been stressed to me by many
individuals and groups that I have met with. Rest assured I understand
this message which is so important for future generations. Climate Change has
no boundaries and it is important that it is tackled worldwide. I continue to
work on this agenda and with environmental charities such as Surfers
against Sewerage who have done do much to raise awareness of plastic pollution
in the oceans and have mobilised thousands of volunteers removing tons of
plastics from the sea and shore line. My office is St Austell also regularly
organise litter picks and I welcome all who will come and join us. More
information can be found in my regular newsletter. You can subscribe here: https://www.stevedouble.org.uk/
