15 Mar 2023
The problem
Nature in the UK is in trouble, and many communities are feeling the brunt of environmental damage caused when public bodies and companies don’t play by the rules.
But the government is trying to scrap or rewrite hundreds of laws that protect people and the environment across the UK before the end of 2023, through the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill. It's trying to reduce controls that prevent new developments harming nature, through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. And it's working to roll back agricultural regulations and previous plans to support more sustainable farming.
This could all lead to more polluted air, dirtier water and fewer protections for already hard-pressed species and habitats, and reduce the rights of communities to make their voices heard.
The campaign
We need to persuade government that people really value these protections, and they make our lives and our future better – so these plans are dropped or reimagined as a chance to improve, not weaken laws. We need to show the government that communities, and the sensible rules that protect them and the environment they depend on, can't be traded off against one another.
We will:
- Demand that the government scrap the whole REUL bill, and use proper democratic processes to change any existing legal protections that need improving
- … or at least get the government to change the REUL bill so that the immediate threat of protections being deleted by the end of 2023 is removed, and the biggest deregulatory loopholes are closed.
- And make sure that the new planning system is high standard and democratic, supporting communities and nature everywhere, rather than prioritising pockets of biodiversity at the expense of a healthy environment for all.
What you can do
- Share our 4 minute overview of the threat to our protections.
- Arrange a meeting with your local MP to speak to them about your concerns about the removal of legal safeguards for the environment.
Timeline
- The Retained EU Law bill is being debated in parliament right now, and is expected to become law in late spring. You can find out exactly where its at on the parliament website.
- The Levelling up and Regeneration Bill is being debated in parliament right now, and is expected to become law in late spring. You can find out exactly where its at on the parliament website.
Support and resources
- Read our 4 minute overview of the threat to our protections, or a more in depth guide.
- Learn about the Retained EU Law bill by reading this quick outline of the ways government is downgrading protections.
- You can find more detail on our concerns regarding the Retained EU law bill in our written evidence to the bill Committee.
- If you have a question, or want more information about anything above, email [email protected]