The BES signs open letter to PM on environmental deregulation

We cannot afford to step backwards in our protection of nature

Recent announcements from the UK government on the The Retained EU Law Bill and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, that weaken planning protection, along with a potential rowing back on Environmental Land Management Schemes, are likely to be disastrous to our environment and threaten the government’s own ambitious climate and nature targets.

The BES joins the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition in voicing our concern over the environmental impacts of these policy changes and urges the UK Government to change its trajectory on environmental deregulation.

Yadvinder Malhi, President of the BES, said:

“It is impossible to have sustained economic growth and future prosperity without a healthy environment. The new government’s agenda of deregulation and weakening of vital environmental protections puts this at risk.

“We join with 78 environmental organisations filled with great concern at the policy developments announced over the last few days. These include:

• the potential scrapping of Environmental Land Management Schemes designed to support nature in farmland
• the creation of investment zones with suspended rules on nature protection; and
• the potential abandonment of the EU Habitats and Bird Directives, which cover our most highly protected areas.

“At a time when we are facing the very real and urgent twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we cannot afford to step backwards in our protection of nature. Now is the time to reinforce our environmental policies, not tear them down.”

You can read the full letter on Wildlife and Countryside Link’s website.