Tory leader candidates can shun climate change now, but the public will make them pay

Uur environmental laws today are much stronger than
they were when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister
(Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

There are some obvious commitments I hope candidates will be willing to make.

Boris Johnson’s international leadership on the environment has been head and shoulders above his predecessors and his departure undoubtedly puts that at risk.

I know not everyone accepts that view, and some will point to issues here at home such as sewage in rivers and dramatic biodiversity decline as proof. But while it is right to say these issues merit much more action, it is also true that our environmental laws today are much stronger than they were when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.

There is more funding for nature, more protected areas, stronger laws on polluting companies, more action on plastic pollution and the UK is one of the only countries in the world with legal targets to reverse biodiversity loss. On animal welfare we have seen the biggest shake up of laws for a generation. There is vastly more to do, but we have moved forward.

Full story at INews.