UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Environment

  • Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Flooding in Europe

    Ed Miliband – 2021 Comments on Flooding in Europe

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 16 July 2021.

    Reports of extreme flooding across Europe are extremely distressing. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this appalling situation, including the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

    We need governments around the world – including our own – to focus on delivering climate adaptation measures, including flood resilience. And crucially we need strong action to cut emissions because every extra fraction of a degree of warming makes extreme weather events more likely.

    This awful tragedy, following extreme heat in Pakistan and Canada, shows that while the climate crisis is the biggest long-term threat our world faces it is already happening now with devastating effects. No country is doing enough – and future generations will not forgive us for standing by.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Boris Johnson and Amazon Environmental Crisis

    Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Boris Johnson and Amazon Environmental Crisis

    The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, on 15 July 2021.

    What is happening to the Amazon rainforest is one of the worst man-made tragedies in history, and our own Prime Minister is one of the guilty men. He refused to support EU action in response to the Amazon fires in August 2019, and was thanked by the Bolsonaro government for doing so.

    While the EU are now finally reconsidering their trade deal with Brazil out of concern for the Amazon, Boris Johnson is ploughing ahead with Britain’s negotiations regardless. And while Labour has proposed a due diligence law that would apply to all damaging deforestation, the Tory version only requires companies to comply with the local rules set by governments like Bolsonaro’s.

    We will never stop and reverse the planet-destroying damage being done by men like Bolsonaro until governments like ours stand up to him, but under Boris Johnson, we are doing the opposite, standing by while he burns the Amazon with impunity.

  • Victoria Prentis – 2021 Comments on the Future Farming Resilience Fund

    Victoria Prentis – 2021 Comments on the Future Farming Resilience Fund

    The comments made by Victoria Prentis, the Farming Minister, on 13 July 2021.

    We know that change can be challenging which is why we are committed to helping farmers and land managers throughout the agricultural transition to feel supported to make the best decisions for their farms, families and future.

    As we continue to co-design and develop the future schemes it is important that the industry has access to expert support and knowledge. So I urge farmers and land managers to sign up to the Future Farming Resilience Fund now to ensure that come August they are able to use the help that is available to them.

  • Jesse Norman – 2021 Statement on the Emissions Trading Scheme

    Jesse Norman – 2021 Statement on the Emissions Trading Scheme

    The statement made by Jesse Norman, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, on 5 July 2021.

    The Government are announcing today that legislation will be introduced at the earliest opportunity to allow a VAT zero rate to apply to trades in UK emissions trading scheme allowances within the VAT Terminal Markets Order (S11973/173) (TMO).

    A UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) replaced the UK’s participation in the EU ETS on 1 January 2021. The scheme has been established to increase the climate ambition of the UK’s carbon pricing policy, while mitigating the risk of carbon leakage through free allowances.

    Market participants can bid for UK ETS allowances on the UK auction platform or can acquire futures contracts in UK ETS allowances on the secondary market.

    The TMO permits VAT zero rating for transactions on terminal commodity markets. It is seen as an important VAT trade facilitation measure by those involved in trading commodity futures contracts, where often on these markets there are very substantial volumes of transactions over short periods of time. The zero-rating relief provided by the TMO avoids the administrative and cash flow burdens of accounting for VAT and should have no effect on the VAT amount collected at the final stage of consumption.

    I can confirm today the treatment will be provided from the time when these important trades commenced in May.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2021 Comments on the Net Zero Review

    Bridget Phillipson – 2021 Comments on the Net Zero Review

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 30 June 2021.

    There’s a real danger this green bonds announcement is all talk and no action – just like the Chancellor’s long delayed Net Zero Review – and a distraction from the critical job of halting climate breakdown.

    We need far more details and a watertight guarantee that these bonds are spent properly on the green jobs and initiatives that will curb climate breakdown.

    The Chancellor must stop dragging his heels, and publish his final report into the Net Zero Review which has now been delayed since Autumn 2020.

    And he should hardwire his Net Zero targets into his upcoming spending review, as Labour would do.

  • Rachel Maclean – 2021 Comments on Electric Vehicle Charging

    Rachel Maclean – 2021 Comments on Electric Vehicle Charging

    The comments made by Rachel Maclean, the Transport Minister, on 30 June 2021.

    With sales of EVs increasing and the government’s net zero ambitions accelerating, I want to make it as easy as possible for EV drivers to charge up their vehicles at public chargepoints right across the UK, regardless of their mobility.

    We are taking action to provide accessibility guidance to both operators and drivers to make sure that the transition to zero-emission driving will benefit everyone in society as we build back better.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2021 Comments on Ending Coal Power

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2021 Comments on Ending Coal Power

    The comment made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Energy and Climate Change Minister, on 30 June 2021.

    Coal powered the industrial revolution 200 years ago, but now is the time for radical action to completely eliminate this dirty fuel from our energy system.

    Today we’re sending a clear signal around the world that the UK is leading the way in consigning coal power to the history books and that we’re serious about decarbonising our power system so we can meet our ambitious, world-leading climate targets.

    The UK’s net zero future will be powered by renewables, and it is this technology that will drive the green industrial revolution and create new jobs across the country.

  • George Eustice – 2021 Comments on Protected Landscapes

    George Eustice – 2021 Comments on Protected Landscapes

    The comments made by George Eustice, the Secretary of State for the Environment, on 24 June 2021.

    We have an opportunity to create a new chapter for our protected landscapes.

    The work that we are going to take forward will contribute to our commitment to protect 30% of our land by 2030, and boost biodiversity, while designating more areas of the country for their natural beauty.

    Our Farming in Protected Landscapes programme will provide additional investment to allow farmers to work in partnership with our National Park Authorities and AONB teams to improve public access.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Hydrogen Buses

    Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Hydrogen Buses

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 23 June 2021.

    We have made real progress in London to clean up our air, but we still have a long way to go because toxic air pollution in our city is still leading to thousands of premature deaths every year and is stunting the growth of children’s lungs. As part of our world-leading ongoing efforts, I’m proud to announce England’s first hydrogen double decker buses, which don’t produce any harmful emissions, will now be put into service.

    Our investment in these hydrogen buses is not only helping us to clean up London’s air, but is supporting jobs and local economics across the UK. This is a great demonstration of how tackling air pollution and the climate crisis and boosting economic growth is about regions working together, investing in the very latest technology.

    I’ve worked hard to ensure TfL’s entire core bus fleet across London now meets the ULEZ standards, and this includes 500 electric buses. Our new investment in hydrogen buses will move us even closer to our ambition of making all London buses zero-emission by 2030.

  • Boris Johnson – 2021 Comments on Amazon Destroying Large Quantities of Unsold Stock

    Boris Johnson – 2021 Comments on Amazon Destroying Large Quantities of Unsold Stock

    The comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 21 June 2021.

    It sounds incredible to me, an indictment of a consumerist society, if it’s as you say, we will look into it.

    Obviously we don’t like stuff going to landfill under any circumstances that’s why we have the landfill tax and landfill credit scheme, and everything else.

    I’m afraid it’s one of those things we’re just going to have to look into and get back to you.

    We want to see more reuse, we want to see more recycling but above all we want to stop people using things that are going to be, ultimately, polluting our seas, our world and that means cutting down our use of plastics, you name it.