Thank you for contacting me about the environment and climate change and The Time is Now campaign.
I firmly believe in protecting both the UK's vibrant ecosystem and the natural environment worldwide. I am encouraged that the first progress report of the Government’s ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan found that 90 per cent of the priority actions have been delivered or are on track for delivery. I believe this clearly demonstrates our commitment to improve the environment within a generation.
The decision to leave the European Union has created an historic opportunity to review our environmental policies. Outside the EU we can develop global gold standard environmental policies, raising our ambitions, restoring nature and reversing decline. We can, and I believe we will, be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.
I also believe that the threat of global warming has never been more apparent. However, I am encouraged that we are witnessing an unstoppable momentum towards a more ambitious global response, most recently demonstrated by agreement on a 'rulebook' for the Paris Agreement late last year.
Since 1990, the UK has cut emissions by more than 40 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds, the best performance on a per person basis than any other G7 nation. To continue this momentum, the Government published the Clean Growth Strategy in 2017, which has been boosted by significant innovation funding made available through the Industrial Strategy.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Robert Goodwill MP
July 2019