Environmental Act explained in Chamber briefing
A new piece of legislation that allows the government to enshrine better environmental protection into law has been summarised in a new briefing paper from the Chambers of Commerce.
Greater Birmingham and Coventry & Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce have partnered to provide a briefing on the Environment Act.
The Environment Act is the UK 's post-Brexit environmental protection framework to ensure strong environmental governance.
The act is aimed at driving environmental performance across the public and private sector.
It contains plans to improve the environmental performance in air quality, resource efficiency and waste reduction, biodiversity and nature, and water.
However, these areas require secondary legislation to be enacted before they can be implemented.
The Chambers ' briefing details the proposed targets, the current powers to enforce the law, their implications, and the type of organisations likely be impacted.
These areas will have legally binding 15-year targets set by 31 October 2022.
Interim five-year targets will be set in Environmental Improvement Plans (EIP).
The Environment Act will change public and private sector environmental practice and influence the development of national policy areas and its associated projects, such as 'levelling up '.
Businesses affected by this legislation are being urged to review their activities and products that are most at risk of non-compliance, to improve environmental performance at minimum in line with interim targets set in Environmental Improvement Plans (EIPs).
Will Hargreaves (pictured), policy advisor at the Chambers, said: “This act will drive a pattern of change similar to the Government 's 2050 net zero target, where businesses have followed with their own, more progressive net zero targets.
“Draft targets were expected in February, however, this has been delayed owing to external factors. This briefing paper gives an initial foresight into what the targets are likely to be on and the implications for environmental performance across the private and public sector.
“We encourage businesses to start considering and developing their activity within the environmental target areas to meet moral, legal and social expectations and by doing so gaining competitive advantages. ”