Ministers seek to reassure low carbon sector following vote for 'Brexit'

Thu 30 June 2016 View all news

Government ministers have moved promptly to reassure the low carbon sector that it remains a priority following the referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union. Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said that the administration remains fully committed to the agenda while the Government also moved quickly to accept the Climate Change Committee's recommendations for the Fifth Carbon Budget.
 
Amber Rudd said in a speech to the Business and Climate Summit: "As a Government, we are fully committed to delivering the best outcome for the British people – and that includes delivering the secure, affordable, clean energy our families and business need."
 
She said: "The challenges to our environment remain the same...
 
"In particular, I want to underline our commitment to the issue over which I have primary responsibility; climate change. We made a clear commitment to acting on climate change. That will continue.
 
"Climate change has not been downgraded as a threat. It remains one of the most serious long-term risks to our economic and national security."
 
She added: "I was lucky enough to lead the world-class team of British diplomats at last year’s Paris climate talks. Our efforts were central to delivering that historic deal.
 
"And the UK will not step back from that international leadership. We must not turn our back on Europe or the world."
 
The day after making this speech, the Energy Secretary confirmed that the Government is accepting the Committee on Climate Change’s Fifth Carbon Budget recommendations which cover the period 2028-2032. It confirms plans for a 57% reduction in emissions since 1990. (See related story.)
 
Speaking at the LowCVP Conference on 30 June, Michael Jacobs of ippr, a leading climate policy commentator, said that the implications of 'Brexit' on the low carbon agenda are uncertain but that the agenda will continue to be driven by the 2008 Climate Act which is a legally binding commitment for the UK regardless of the country's status vis-a-vis the EU.
 
Michael Jacobs said that in the current uncertain political environment, the Government is looking for areas where it can provide policy certainty. He said that the early, and somewhat unexpected, announcement of the Government's acceptance of the Fifth Carbon Budget was, perhaps, an example of this taking place.
 
The United Nations has recently called for a post-Brexit Britain to maintain a strong link with the EU on environment policy, adopting key bloc climate laws and maintaining its nature directives.
 
In his first interview since taking office, Erik Solheim told The Guardian it was vital that supranational decisions continued for problems such as pollution and wildlife crime which crossed borders, and could not be dealt with by states acting alone.

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