Government publishes Environment Bill – Friends of the Earth reaction

• Friends of the Earth has spokespeople available for London studios

• The government’s pledge to show global leadership on protecting our environment is welcome but the Environment Bill must contain more specific and binding measures

Responding to a government announcement on its Environment Bill, which will be published later today (Thursday 30 January), Friends of the Earth campaigner, Kierra Box, said: 
 
“If the government wants to show global leadership on protecting our environment it must set out legal guarantees in the Environment Bill to ensure existing eco-laws aren’t watered down in a post-Brexit world. This bill does not offer that guarantee.

“A strong environmental watchdog is crucial, but will be useless without the resources, independence, and teeth to hold businesses and government to account.
 
“Measures to stem the tide of plastic pollution pouring into our environment are certainly welcome, but ministers must get to the heart of the crisis by introducing a binding timetable to phase-out the use of all non-essential single-use plastic.”

ENDS 

For more information and interview requests contact the Friends of the Earth press office on 020 7566 1649 / 07718 394786 (out of hours – please do not text this number) media@foe.co.uk. 

Notes to editors: 

1. Friends of the Earth is an international community dedicated to the protection of the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it. We bring together more than two million people in 75 countries, combining people power all over the world to transform local actions into global impact. For more information visit: friendsoftheearth.uk follow us at @friends_earth, or like our Facebook page