Each year on June 5th, World Environment Day is celebrated. It is described as the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. First held in 1974, it’s been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issue such as marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. As a global platform for public outreach, it has annual participation from over 140 countries.
Our environment matters. Climate change rightly gets a lot of coverage, but while important, it is of course so much more than that. Our natural environment is under pressure, all around the world and in every location, including right here in Crawley. Most of us want to improve our environment, whether that be our immediate day-to-day environment that we see or being conscious of the choices we can make to help the wider environment. Last weekend to help mark World Environment Day, Crawley Conservative Councillors organised a community litter pick in Southgate and took part in a community litter pick in Tilgate Park.
Our own behaviour and actions are important, but so is the lead governments give and the polices they pursue. While there is always more to do, I’m proud of the record the UK and our Conservative Government has on environmental issues. The UK is a world leader in tackling climate change. We were the first major economy to legislate for Net Zero by 2050 we are also going to put into law, a new target to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. We are phasing out coal power by 2025 at the latest whereas Germany is waiting until 2038 and we are banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, whereas France is waiting until 2040.
Our government is bringing forward a landmark Environment Bill to restore nature and build back greener from the pandemic. This will set legally binding targets aimed at halting species decline, restore nature and biodiversity, tackle air pollution, establish an independent Office for Environmental Protection, cut plastic use and revolutionise how we recycle.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
9th June 2021
