OGDEN, Utah – Campaigners lashed out at the delay, claiming it would hinder action on air pollution, water quality and wildlife protection. The legislation includes setting targets for air quality, water, biodiversity and waste reduction – and outlines what standard must be achieved by when.
It also includes measures to ensure UK consumers no longer contribute to the destruction of forested land overseas, through new rules aimed at stopping the import of goods from areas of illegally deforested land.
Ministers said the delay – which means the flagship legislation is unlikely to pass before the autumn – was necessary because dealing with the coronavirus crisis left too little time for parliamentary debate.
Rebecca Pow, minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “We remain fully committed to the environment bill as a key part of delivering the government’s manifesto commitment to create the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.
“Carrying over the bill to the next session [of parliament] does not diminish our ambition for our environment in any way.”