On 22 January, IEEP UK hosted its annual conference focused on learning with the EU to achieve UK environmental ambitions. This conference, chaired by IEEP UK Chair Malini Mehra, brought together a diverse range of speakers and attendees, including policymakers, academics, journalists, and representatives of think tanks and NGOs.

The conference began with Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP, highlighting the new government’s desire to work closely with the EU to address global environmental challenges. Minister Creagh highlighted how nature transcends borders, and international partnerships will thus be crucial in achieving ambitious UK environmental targets. The keynote speech also provided a comprehensive overview of Defra’s five environmental priorities: nature, circular economy, rivers and seas, flooding and food security. Read more about the Minister’s speech here.

A range of speakers then elaborated on how the UK can learn from the EU in these five areas. Janez Potočnik (International Resource Panel) emphasised the urgent need for increased policy attention on dematerialisation, and recommended focusing on the most resource extensive provisioning systems – energy, food, built environment and mobility. Andreas Baumüller (WWF EU)examined the benefits of the EU nature restoration framework and the importance of effective implementation of legislation. Clemens Neuhold (Austrian Flood Risk Management Directorate) highlighted the importance of integrated flood management, providing context from Austria’s approach. Marloes Bakker (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) looked at what the UK could learn from the Dutch national water programme, such as integrated water management, cooperation with multiple stakeholders and long term planning. Finally, Stephanie Wunder (Agora Agriculture) focused on the importance of better defining food security, how food security complements other priorities, and recent EU developments in this area.

We were then pleased to welcome Claudia Fusco (DG Environment) who welcomed the new UK government’s willingness to cooperate, and highlighted areas of mutual benefit such as energy, fishing, climate change and trade. She emphasised the need to avoid environmental policy divergence and ensure a level playing field. Leena Ylä-Mononen (European Environment Agency) followed with a keynote, and stating that the EEA would welcome future cooperation with the UK, and emphasised that there was a strong institutional memory of UK contributions prior to Brexit. She highlighted that cooperation is more important than ever before, and there are mutual benefits of cooperation to the UK and EEA.

There then followed a panel discussion focused on how the UK and EU could cooperate on environmental policy. Mark Roberts (Environmental Standards Scotland) provided a Scottish perspective on post-Brexit environmental policy and its links to devolution. David Baldock (IEEP UK) then looked at the scope for the environment to play a role in the new government’s Brexit reset, and the need for warmer relations to be expressed through practical mechanisms. Francesca Carlsson (European Environmental Bureau) explored how the UK and EU could come together and send a message of unity on climate change and environmental protection. Finally, Viviane Gravey (Queens’ University Belfast) examined some of the challenges involved in cooperation, and the risk of policy divergence growing and the cost of alignment increasing.

Overall, the conference was a highly insightful and productive session, and we are extremely grateful for the valuable contributions of our speakers.

The event was covered by ENDS report in this write up.

Some of the speakers’ presentations can be downloaded via the links below. Watch the recording of the conference here: