Ambitious environmental targets key to drive long term investment

Reacting to the publication of the Government’s environmental targets policy paper, Signe Norberg, Public Affairs Manager at Aldersgate Group, said: “Today’s publication of the environmental targets policy paper represents a significant opportunity for the UK to set new, ambitious and legally binding targets. These targets need to set a clear expectation for future policies and result in coherent and holistic improvements to the natural environment. If designed correctly, these targets will provide much needed long-term policy direction to businesses, shape environmental policies in the decades to come, and drive private sector investment in the natural environment. This is the beginning of that process, and we look forward to working with the Government in developing these targets further.”

Signe Norberg added: “Looking ahead, it is crucial that the targets are accompanied by the passage of an ambitious Environment Bill, including a clear process for setting robust interim targets, and accelerated work to put in place a functioning and well-resourced Office for Environmental Protection by the start of 2021. As the Government looks to ‘build back greener’, it is essential that the new target framework is sufficiently clear and ambitious to drive policy making for many years to come and result in much higher levels of investment in the natural environment and resource efficiency.”