Queen’s Speech: environment and climate change must be at the heart of this government’s policy agenda

Reacting to today’s Queen’s Speech, Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said: “The next five years will determine whether the UK is on track to deliver its net zero emissions target and reverse the decline of the natural environment. With ample cross-party consensus, two major global summits in 2020 and growing business and public calls for more action, this government has the historic opportunity to push forward the most ambitious environmental and climate policy agenda on record. The Environment Bill announced today will be an important step in this direction: it should set robust environmental improvement targets, set tangible interim milestones and establish a truly independent Office for Environmental Protection.”

Nick Molho added: “The measures introduced in the Environment Bill need to be rapidly accompanied by a truly ambitious and concrete policy plan for achieving net zero emissions covering areas such as buildings, surface transport and industrial decarbonisation. It is vital that this plan is delivered well ahead of the autumn in order to maximise the UK’s influence as host of COP26 and ensure this crucial summit results in a meaningful increase in global emission reduction pledges.”