UK STORIES


BREXIT UPDATE Shaky start for new J


ust before Christmas, the Government faced the fi rst real test of their commitment to our


natural world as the long-awaited part one of the draft Environment Bill was published. It was a result of successful lobbying by The Wildlife Trusts and our partners in the Greener UK coalition.


This draft Bill aims to create a replacement environmental governance system after we leave the EU. Published alongside this was a policy note setting out the Government’s ambitions for part two of the Bill, expected in Spring 2019. The Wildlife Trusts have fought hard for the Government to


32 Spring 2019


recognise the need for an ambitious Environment Bill to help our natural world recover. However, in their current form the Government’s plans fall well short of what is needed. We need the new environmental watchdog to be much more independent and able to hold the whole Government to account to


what we need to tackle the challenge


The plans fall short of


Environment Bill The Government has published a draft Environment Bill. We say they could do much better


begin to match the environmental enforcement powers currently held by the European Commission and European Court of Justice.


Surveys show that thousands of once- common species are declining sharply


TOM MARSHALL


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