Ruth Chambers

The UK needs to strengthen, not rollback, its environmental protections Across the world, governance systems that protect precious environments and people are being dismantled. This may feel a far cry from the cut and thrust of domestic politics, but there are already …

🌎 Recent rollbacks in Brazil, Ecuador & the US show how fragile environmental governance systems can be.

🍃 In this new @green-alliance.org.uk blog I look at how the UK can strengthen environmental protections to help them withstand changing political winds.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/06/t...

📆 Today marks one year since Defra launched a ‘rapid review’ of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

🪟 The Office for Environmental Protection has warned the window to get on track to meet environmental goals will soon slam shut.

👀 Safe to say there’s a lot riding on the new plan.

Extract from the government's Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report: December 2024 to June 2025, confirming that environmental protections will be maintained when it exercises its powers to change laws which originated from the EU.

🙏 @justinmadders.bsky.social for reaffirming that environmental protections will be maintained when the govt uses its powers under the Retained EU Law Act.

📗 This welcome statement is in the govt's latest report to Parliament.

✉️ Read the minister's letter 👇

green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/u...

🙏 Thanks to the committee members and staff for their help with the preparations for the session.

👍 Giving evidence can be a nerve wracking experience but they made us feel comfortable from the start @delythjewell.bsky.social @llyrgruffydd.bsky.social

Agenda for Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, 17 July 2025, 09.30 | Senedd Senedd

🌿 We discussed the independence and powers of the new Welsh environmental watchdog, environmental principles and biodiversity targets.

📗 After summer, the Committee will publish its recommendations which we hope will include a few of ours.

🔗 Read our evidence

business.senedd.wales/ieListDocume...

Live-Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee-17/07/2025 The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

⏰ The climate change, environment and infrastructure committee asked us questions for 75 minutes.

🌊 We talked about the importance of making this important legislation as watertight as possible.

📺 Tune in from 9.30
www.senedd.tv/Meeting/Live...

🌟 🌟 Delighted to give evidence alongside these two superstars* this morning in @senedd.wales on a new legal environmental framework for Cymru.

*Alex Phillips from WWF Cymru and Annie Smith from ‪@rspbcymru.bsky.social‬ who co-chair the @waleslink.bsky.social biodiversity group.

YouTube video by Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Webinar: The new Environmental Governance Bill: what does it mean for public bodies?

🧩 The Welsh environmental governance bill will complete the legislative jigsaw we’ve been working on across the UK since Brexit.

🎧 For more details check out this webinar with @futuregencymru.bsky.social where @rspbcymru.bsky.social WWF Cymru & I discuss the bill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g78...

A thundery afternoon at #Elmey nature reserve full of bees and butterflies feasting on teasel nectar, corn bunting (which seems to be doing well here), hares and a sprinting stoat.

@bumblebeetrust.bsky.social is this a moss carder? 🐝 🔎

⚡ Big news for Northern Ireland’s environment as an expert review signals the need for major change ⚡

We welcome its calls for stronger environmental governance and enforcement, to better protect and restore the environment.

www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

Wednesday's spending review revealed the government's plans for the trajectory of the economy, and was largely more forgiving for climate and nature than many expected. So, how did it perform against our asks? 🤔🚦

Read our full evaluation in this new briefing: green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/was...

🐟 Remote electronic monitoring on fishing boats remains on the cards and will become mandatory after a design and testing phase.

📖 There is welcome clarity on Defra’s contributions to the government’s mission boards and who attends these.

🔥 Defra is “working towards” a consultation to explore new measures to cut emissions and strengthen local enforcement on domestic burning.

🔋 A consultation is planned on wide-ranging reforms to industrial permitting, including to bring Battery Energy Storage Systems into the system.

📗 Defra and DESNZ are working together on the approach to the climate and nature statement promised during debates on @rozsavage.bsky.social's Climate and Nature Bill. This is expected later this year, with a hint it may be aligned with annual reporting cycles on environmental targets.

🚀 The revised Environmental Improvement Plan will include delivery information on Environment Act targets.

The government’s response to the OEP’s progress report from January will be published this summer, a welcome speeding up.

🙏 It’s also good to see that the OEP’s funding will be maintained at £8.81m for 2025-26. There is still a shortfall to be addressed but this decision is nevertheless welcome in the current fiscal context.

🧢Firstly, the headcount cap the previous government had attached to its funding for the Office for Environmental Protection is being scrapped.

🙏This is excellent news and is something @green-alliance.org.uk has repeatedly called for.

green-alliance.org.uk/publication/...

🔍 It pays to read the small print when ministers exchange letters with select committees.

✉️ In his latest letter to @commonseac.parliament.uk, Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed sets out several important commitments.

committees.parliament.uk/publications...

UK-EU divergence in financial sustainability reporting Green Alliance is an independent think tank and charity focused on ambitious leadership for the environment

🧵 The latest stocktake from our Legislation and Governance Unit takes a snapshot of UK and EU financial sustainability reporting regulations since Brexit.

While both have introduced anti-greenwashing measures, companies operating across borders face slow reform and duplication.

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Introduction of the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill | GOV.WALES Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs

Today is a red letter day for environmental protection in Wales, as long awaited laws to set up a new watchdog and build the environment into policy making are published.

While welcome, the bill must be strengthened.

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Removing consultation from major infrastructure planning is undemocratic This post is by Maria Lee, professor of law at UCL. Much concerned and angry attention has, quite rightly, been paid to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, for what the Office for Envir…

📢 There's much to say on Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill but other parts also spell big changes.

🙏 In this excellent blog, Prof Maria Lee explains why Part 1 deserves careful scrutiny, not least because of its democratic downsides.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/05/29/r...

"This is where cross government working really does need to bite."

@ruthchambers.bsky.social discusses how to tackle competing departmental priorities with @endsreport.com's @jamesxparsons.bsky.social & @pippaneill.bsky.social on the #ECOchamber podcast.

Listen: www.endsreport.com/article/1918...

🔗 Of course there are ways in which environmental regulators can work together better. We look forward to sharing our thoughts with Defra, as it considers how to take forward the results of its own regulatory review led by @danrcorry.bsky.social

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6825d0...

Departments told to justify existence of quangos to 'drive out waste and inefficiency' Unions warn against using the arm's-length body review exercise as an excuse to cut jobs

🔍 One isn't on the cards as far as we know, but as the Cabinet Office is reviewing the arm's length body landscape as a whole, it's wise to remain vigilant.

www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

How the Cabinet Office’s quango review might affect DEFRA’s arm’s-length bodies All government departments have been told to 'justify their existence' of their quangos as part of as part of the prime minister's quest to 'hack back the thicket of red tape', but what would happen i...

🌋 As I tell @endsreport.com a major reorganisation of environmental regulators would be really disruptive and would not be a sensible measure at this time.

www.endsreport.com/article/1919...

The sandeel is an unlikely barometer of Brexit benefits This piece first appeared in the New Statesman. The UK’s decision to leave the EU sparked frenzied debate about the UK’s environmental protections, and whether these would ‘keep pace’ with EU law m…

The humble sandeel - an important food source for puffins and a test case of how to resolve UK-EU disagreements on post Brexit environmental protections.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/05/27/t...

Brazil activists decry green rollbacks as senate passes ‘devastation bill’ Legislation would dismantle regulations in farming, mining and energy, increasing risk of widespread destruction

This highlights the potential pitfalls of the govt's approach to reducing UK consumption of 'forest risk' commodities.

The Environment Act's focus on illegal deforestation prompted fears local laws would be weakened.

How will UK ministers respond?

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

Horses being ridden in the quiet streets of Westminster with Big Ben in the background.

A beautiful start to the day 😎🐎🎡

The sandeel is an unlikely barometer of Brexit benefits A decision by the governments at Holyrood and Westminster could set the tone for future efforts to restore nature.

Earlier this month, the UK's proposals to restrict the fishing of sandeels, introduced to protect puffins, was upheld by international arbitration.

In this article for @newstatesman.com, @ruthchambers.bsky.social explains why this matters.

🦋🌳🐞The bill will put environmental principles at the heart of Welsh policy making, enable the setting of new nature targets and establish a new independent body "with real teeth and real power" to hold the Welsh govt and public authorities to account on their environmental commitments & obligations.