Following an unprecedented number of delays, the Government’s Environment Bill has now been approved by Parliament.
Over three years since the first draft of the Environment Bill was published – having had the first reading in January 2020 – and following a failure to get it passed prior to COP26, the Environment Act is now enshrined into UK law.
This is a major milestone for the UK, establishing a framework that will consider the environment as a whole and supporting nature restoration. Environmental campaigners have been keen to praise the bill while impressing that this should be a starting point, in the hopes that issues around government accountability and sewage discharge will be developed further.
The Environment Act will include the introduction of the Office for Environmental Protection, which is hoped to deliver robust measures and hold government and public bodies accountable to meeting environmental targets.