Despite a summer of heatwaves and drought, climate policy was mentioned only briefly during the recent battle for Prime Minster. So, what’s next for the environment in light of the new Prime Minister’s appointment?
As a former Environment Secretary, Truss has signed the Conservative Environment Pledge and said she would honour the goal of reaching net zero by 2050. However, while campaigning she pledged to enact a temporary moratorium on the green energy levy to support businesses and industry, which experts believe could hinder efforts to deliver on the UK's 2050 pledge.
On transitioning to greener energy sources Truss said the UK needs to build more nuclear power stations and small modular nuclear reactors. She has also been vocal on the importance of building the UK’s energy security, having warned against reliance on importing oil, particularly from Russia.
However, with Liz Truss stating she would review the ban on fracking, "if local communities support it", some conservatives fear this could lead to deregulated fracking activity and the subsequent destabilising seismic consequences. It is worth noting that despite her determination to secure the UK’s energy sources, she cut subsidies for solar farms during her time as Environment Secretary, calling them “a blight on the landscape”. She cemented this view during her leadership campaign calling solar farms "one of the most depressing sights" and vowed to keep fields clear of “paraphernalia”.
As Foreign Secretary, Truss reportedly ordered a new approach in the way the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spends aid funding, with less focus given to health, climate change and conflict prevention. NGOs criticised the reform, claiming it “will undermine the UK’s ability to play our part globally in tackling urgent challenges.”
In a recent statement to the Conservative Environment Network, she recommitted to the 2030 goal of halting nature decline, pledging to continue reforming farm payments, helping people insulate their homes, and championing renewables and new clean technologies. She has also committed to a nationwide nature survey to strengthen our efforts to preserve our environment.
At BRITA, we support the strengthening of the UK’s climate policy and promise to play our part in keeping the country on track to meet its 2050 pledges, for example we have committed to carbon neutral Scope 1 & 2 logistics, fleet and travel emissions from 2023.
We’re also working closely with others to ensure our products offer customers ways to save resources, minimise waste, and protect the planet. For example, our long-term partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation allows us to spread the crucial message that reducing single-use plastic pollution will protect whales as crucial allies in the fight against climate change.
Additionally, our collaboration with partners who make up our 1900 recycling locations across the UK allows our customers to recycle BRITA filter cartridges. We hope to see Liz Truss’ new Government place importance on the UK’s environmental pledges and work with businesses to achieve its targets.
