A majority of British voters believe that Sir Keir Starmer, as Labor prime minister, will show no more commitment to protecting the environment than the previous Conservative government.
Around two-thirds think Mr Starmer’s approach to the environment is no different from that taken under Rishi Sunak’s previous government.
Ahead of next week’s Budget, more than half also said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should not weaken the UK Government’s stance on protecting the environment.
waste
Nature Secretary Mary Cree has confirmed plans for a landmark national recycling scheme will be watered down and scrutiny of Whitehall policy will increase.
Cree said glass bottles were “not covered” by the deposit refund scheme, which has drawn criticism from environmentalists. The comment came after Diet response written He told Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyck last week:
The Deposit Refund Scheme operates in more than 40 countries around the world and involves a small fee applied to everyday drink containers, which is refunded when the item is recycled at a bottle bank.
The most successful schemes across Europe have recycling rates of up to 97%, which is key to reducing harmful greenhouse gases and achieving net zero.
The Nature 2030 survey also found overwhelming support (75%) for the introduction of a comprehensive deposit refund scheme, with more than two-thirds (68%) of Brits saying they would be concerned about high levels of waste and pollution from single-use drinks. have expressed concern that this will occur. container.
invest
The study comes ahead of DEFRA’s “rapid review” of the previous government’s environmental improvement plans, with campaigners hoping the new minister will step up protections for the planet.
Campaigners say the New Labor government will take an ambitious stance to deliver a co-ordinated approach to environmental projects, in contrast to what has been described as a “tiered approach” taken by the previous Conservative government. argues that it should.
They are calling on the Treasury to table “the greenest budget in British history” in the House of Commons next week.
Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet & PlasticFree: “The British public is once again smarter than the economists who advise politicians on environmental policy. Please show me the balance sheet to prove it.”A thriving economy on a dying earth?
“We are running towards a world where the investment and business moguls are completely uninsurable. Look at real estate in Florida. A glimpse of our future.
corner
“The ocean, air, soil, and all living things are connected to one giant living system, and to cut yourself off from that system is not only to cut yourself off from financial security, but also from life itself. .”
Dominic Dyer, environmental activist and chair of Nature 2030, said: “The Chancellor must ensure that next week he delivers the greenest budget in British history.”
“The only way to protect our planet for future generations is to achieve green growth, harness renewable energy and ensure a circular economy to tackle harmful levels of waste and pollution.
“After 14 years of a piecemeal approach under the previous Conservative government, Rachel Reeves will be able to show the nation next week that her new government has turned a corner.”
this author
Brendan Montague is the editor ecologist.
