On the 23rd June, the British People decided their future. WWF-UK campaigned for the environment to be integral to the debate and asked voters to consider the implications their choice would have for nature.
WWF-UK is concerned about the risks and uncertainties for the environment of the UK moving outside the EU. There will now be many years of transition, so we need to do all we can to ensure that regulations and actions are in place for the environment, to promote a sustainable future including addressing climate change. These need to be as good or even better than those currently in force within the EU.
The UK remains signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals and to the Paris climate agreement, and we have opportunities through the Government’s own proposed plans for nature and for food and farming to make the case for the protection and improvement of our environment.
Responding to the result of the referendum on EU membership, WWF-UK CEO David Nussbaum said:
“Environmental challenges don’t stop at borders and many require international solutions. Leaving the European Union brings risks and uncertainties for our wildlife and wild places, but with the right policies the UK could continue to be a global force for the protection of nature. As an immediate step we should retain the environmental protections that have delivered cleaner air and beaches, helped preserve habitats and cut carbon emissions – and build on them to reverse the environmental decline we are experiencing.
“Environmental considerations are integral to the long-term needs of our economy and society. The Government’s proposed 25 year plans for Food and Farming and for Nature will now be measures of how seriously Ministers are about taking care of our countryside. Integrating the needs of farmers and consumers with wider environmental priorities would reassure those who worry that nature will be low on the Government’s priority list.”
WWF will continue to work with partners in Europe and around the world to protect the air we breathe, the beaches we visit, the wildlife we cherish and the countryside we love. And we’ll keep campaigning for global solutions to climate change. Our vision is for a world with a future where people and nature thrive.
Read more: UK's conservation groups assess environmental impact of Brexit, Statement by WWF UK