Brexit and climate change - no need for environment backlash
24 Jun 2016Press Story
“This is obviously a deeply disappointing day for all those who care about the UK’s role in driving climate ambition in Europe and the world. But it's vital to realise that the UK's climate change commitments are not dependent on the EU: they are derived from the Climate Change Act, which passed through the sovereign UK Parliament in 2008 with only 5 votes against.
"And it wasn't the EU that made the British public want to breathe clean air or protect our natural habitats. So there are no grounds for this result leading to a backlash against environmental protection. The Government should signal this quickly by approving the fifth carbon budget recommended by the Committee on Climate Change."
Contact:
Sarah Horner, s.horner@ippr.org, 07584 604 607
Lester Holloway, l.holloway@ippr.org, 07585 772 633
Ella White, e.white@ippr.org, 020 7470 6122