On 7 May 2024, IEEP UK hosted its first Spring Reception in the Houses of Parliament, on the theme of European environmental ambition at a crossroads: What next for the UK and EU?
The event gathered stakeholders from across the environmental spectrum, including policymakers at local and national levels, politicians, journalists, civil society organisations, leading academics, and private sector entrepreneurs.
Guests enjoyed speeches from a star-studded panel, chaired by Malini Mehra, IEEP UK chair. The event host, Barry Gardiner MP, shared his views on why the UK, despite being an island should seek closer collaboration with European counterparts on climate action, and was amongst speakers calling for a closer relationship with the European Environment Agency and Eionet – receiving some cheers from the audience – in response to IEEP UK’s new briefing on this topic. The calls relating to the EEA/Eionet were echoed by Baroness Young of Old Scone who spoke also about the implications of divergence in environmental policy, not just between the UK and the EU, but also across the UK’s four constituent nations – a major theme of IEEP UK’s recent work.
Philip Dunne MP, chair of the Environment Audit Committee, suggested the relationship with the EEA/Eionet should be examined as part of any post-election scrutiny of the Environment Act, and also called for more environmental investment zones. On a similar theme, journalist Will Hutton expressed his desire for the creation of a new institution to promote European collaboration on the environment and investment. Gina Miller took us from investment to the need for greater funding for environmental enforcement, and Karl Mathiesen, climate editor at POLITICO, offered his insights into some of the upcoming challenges for delivering the green transition at a crucial juncture in European environmental policy, with forthcoming elections in the UK and EU both likely to shift the political balance and approach to these issues.
The event was also an opportunity for Executive Director, Ben Reynolds, and Senior Fellow, David Baldock, to launch IEEP UK’s latest think pieces: a discussion paper offering a fresh new direction for UK environmental policy, and a briefing making the case for closer cooperation between the UK and EU environmental agencies. Both provoked further ideas from the audience on how a closer relationship might be manifest, and provided food for thought for those present on ideas for future development together.
The event also welcomed a number of journalists, including ENDS who have done this full write-up of the proceedings and the speakers’ responses.
The photos below are courtesy of Jonathan Goldberg, you can find more pictures from the event here.
