The Environment Bill would establish a new environmental
governance system, including the setting of long-term targets and
the creation of an Office for Environmental Protection. It also
includes measures on improving air quality, waste management and
recycling, water management, biodiversity and conservation
covenants. The bill is due to have it second reading in the House
of Lords on 7 June 2021, having been carried over from the last
session.
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On 7 June 2021, the second reading of the Environment Bill is
scheduled to take place in the House of Lords. The bill is a
wide-ranging piece of legislation, comprised of a range of
different thematic elements. The first part of the bill is
focused on environmental governance. It would allow the
Government to set long-term targets for the natural environment
and includes the creation of an Office for Environmental
Protection (OEP) to hold the government to account on
environmental law and its environmental improvement plan now that
the UK has left the European Union.
The bill also provides for measures directed at specific areas of
environmental policy. They include provisions on improving air
quality; waste management and recycling; water management;
protecting natural habitats and biodiversity; and for so-called
conservation covenants.
The bill has completed its passage through the House of Commons.
During debate on its provisions, Labour welcomed the bill but
described it as lacking in the necessary ambition and
insufficient to address the urgent need presented by the climate
crisis and other critical environmental issues. As a result,
Labour (and other opposition parties) tabled a range of
amendments during committee and report stage, although all were
unsuccessful.
Government amendments and new clauses were accepted at both
stages. A number of these amendments were minor and technical in
nature. Others were more substantial and are discussed in the
body of this briefing. For example, concerning issues such as
introducing greater clarity on the role of the Office for
Environmental Protection and its relationship with the existing
Committee on Climate Change.
The Government has also announced that it will seek to move
further amendments in the House of Lords. They include measures
aimed to reduce the harms caused by storm overflows and to
introduce a legally binding target on species abundance.
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