Leave - what it means to Britain's environment
David Symons
![David Symons]()
David Symons
Future Ready Innovation leader at WSP, SocEnv's Environmental Professional of The Year 2020
It's all change and yet nothing's changed in Britain. It's a beautiful morning, and Britain's countryside is June stunning. Here's five thoughts on what a vote to Leave the EU means to the UK as the dust settles.
- Most business leaders are ahead of environmental regulation. Regardless of regulatory regime, business still has the mandate to innovate on circular economy, net positive and innovation, regardless of the regulatory regime. There's still this opportunity.
- Many European environmental laws will most likely continue to apply to the UK. From industrial pollution control to waste shipment, access to the single market will most likely mean that European standards will continue apply. Or if Britain's businesses want to meet these standards as they export to Europe. However this all remains to be seen.
- The planning system is largely UK driven already. As one of the largest influences on how the UK looks, there's no change here.
- Alternatives to the Common Agricultural Policy could spur nature protection. Britain's committed to reverse the decline in Britain's wildlife by 2020. There's an opportunity for this to be centre stage in a new farming policy.
- Britain needs to keep centre stage on global climate change. The UK's Climate Change Act has the UK as a global leader on climate action. Amber Rudd and the DECC team were at the heart of Europe's negotiations at COP21 last year. We needs to find a way to continue this leadership.
Practice Leader at MMX GLOBAL LIMITED
8yAlways look on the bright side of death, Dave.
Partner ERM
8yI'd like to hope that we will once again be able to get back to British pragmatism in relation to Environmental as well as Health and Safety laws and that we will move back towards a risk based approach to regulating in the UK which has been losing support across the EU of late.
Rare combination of hands-on Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing and Stakeholder Engagement experience as a BI Business Analyst. IBM Cognos specialist. GRI-Certified Sustainability Professional.
8yI'd like to share your optimism on the environmental front, but the EU gives us standards I am not sure most UK governments will prioritise. Recent history shows that when there's an economic downturn environmental protection goes onto the back burner. There are a large number of unknowns, but one key factor will be how the UK unravels itself from EU directives and legislation. If the UK decides to mirror EU standards in its law that would help maintain an appropriate standard, and the same goes for workers' rights, women's rights and so on. Another concern is where the many groups currently getting by on EU funding will get the money to carry on. More control will return to the UK government. Depends how forward-thinking that government will be.
CEO @ Decarbonize Limited | Non-Executive Chair, Board and Advisory Council member | Climate change & Sustainability
8ySorry, David, I cannot share your optimism. "Global leader on climate action" "Amber Rudd" and "leadership" do not belong in the same paragraph. Read "The Winning of the Carbon War" by Jeremy Leggett.
MCIEEM, MEECOW Principal Ecologist / Environmental Clerk of Works
8yI fear for environmental issues, a lot of funding has come from the EU. We all talk about the money going out, but not realising what has also been coming in. The UK have been drivers of many actions - but only to meet european targets and mainly with european grants.