A race to net zero or all-out war on plastic?
The bill promises to implement the government’s manifesto pledge of “the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth”.
But industry sources are scathing about the lack of clarity in its objectives. Is the aim to fight climate change, with the UK targeting net zero emissions by 2050? by creating better air quality. Is it ending water waste? Or is it banishing plastic at all costs? With the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November looming, the focus of attention in recent weeks has been on a race to net zero, with Sainsbury’s promise to hit the target by 2040 breaking new ground and all retailers and suppliers eyeing the importance of that race. But it is not clear that retailers and suppliers can tackle CO2 emissions and eradicate plastic at the same time. The Bill does little, on the surface, to tackle that dilemma, just one example of where critics claim it is light on a sense of direction.