The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Environment is ushering
in a new era today, bringing in a new secretariat and an
ambitious calendar of events ahead of the 2021 ‘Super Year’ for
the environment. Led by a new cross-party committee chaired by
, the APPG is relaunching with Green Alliance taking
the reins as secretariat.
Founded in 1979, Green Alliance has a uniquely close working
relationship with a wide network of NGOs and parliamentarians,
including founding the Greener UK coalition in 2016 to defend and
strengthen environmental protections as the UK renegotiates its
relationship with the EU. Robin Bines and Adrian Wilkes, who have
managed the group for over 27 years, are due to retire at the end
of September. Plans are already in place to ensure MPs from all
parties are best informed as they look to support, scrutinise and
challenge the upcoming government programme of legislation, such
as the new Energy White Paper and the National Tree Strategy.
Kicking off the APPG’s schedule of events is former Bank of
England governor Mark Carney, who will address parliamentarians
on the need for a green economic recovery in the aftermath of
COVID-19 at a virtual event later today (Tuesday 15 September).
He is expected to discuss what global governments can do to
ensure that the post-Covid economic recovery accelerates progress
towards the Paris climate goals, and what can be expected of the
postponed COP26 climate summit, which takes place in Glasgow in
November next year.
Anthony Browne, Chair of the APPG on the Environment, and former
environment editor of the Observer and Times newspapers, said:
“We have a moral duty to pass on a sustainable world to future
generations. I am determined to raise the profile and
understanding of environmental issues across the House of Commons
and House of Lords, as well as more widely across government and
policy-making circles. Relaunching the APPG, fuelled by the
impressive expertise of Green Alliance, is a key way of doing
that. Their long history working with NGOs and legislators, as
well as their politically-neutral evidence-based approach, will
be essential as we look to ensure environmental priorities are at
the heart of government policy.”
He continued: “I want to thank Robin and Adrian for the many
years of service they have given both the APPG and its cause.
They have achieved a great deal in pushing the group to influence
public policy and debate on the environment and laid the
groundwork for a bright future ahead.”
Chris Venables, Head of Politics at Green Alliance, and staff
lead for the APPG Environment, said, “We’re really excited to be
taking the reins of this all-party environment group. It has an
impressive history of driving forward action on the nature and
climate crises, and with so much at stake in this most crucial of
decades, we believe it’s vital that parliamentarians collaborate
across party divides. There is no area of environmental policy in
which increased scrutiny and calls for greater ambition from MPs
and peers would be unwelcome – so that is our goal – and we’re
excited to work with the officers and members to achieve it.”
