What does the UK’s vote to leave the EU and the approved deal between Britain and Europe mean for wildlife?
Arranging a deal with Europe for Britain’s exit from the EU has been a delicate matter. It affects so many aspects (if not all) of our lives in the UK and potentially the lives of people living in other countries in Europe. No doubt the whole globe has been subjected to news about how world leaders are dealing with such a significant change.
However, there are many creatures that have no idea what is going on and how it will affect their lives. Whatever your opinion about the decision to leave or the deal that has been agreed, it cannot be denied that the EU has had a very large affect on nature and environmental laws in the UK.
Whilst it would be easy to feel frightened and very negative about this volume of change, many environmentalists and conservationists are finding the positives in the situation.
The EU has established a variety of regulations and has acted as an independent body to hold governments to account if targets on environmental policies are not met. Therefore, our leap into unfamiliar territory could potentially see our government revert to laziness when it comes to supporting the natural world.
The UK was once seen as shockingly bad at looking after the environment. We had sewage making its way into the sea, pollution filling the air and had made little effort in comparison to other countries in Europe to improve our situation.
The introduction and enforcement of a variety of standards pushed us into following the good example of more environmentally-friendly countries. The UK does have one of the larger people to land ratios in Europe but this could be even more of a reason to strive to improve the way we have done and now do things.
When I was in school, I had a German teacher who was shocked at the volume of plastic we use in the UK. She explained that in Germany people would take string bags to the shops with them, rather than using plastic. Nearly 20 years later we are finally taking account of our plastic usage and have started taking action.
Leaving the EU does not leave us blind to the problems in the world. We have taken years to establish policies that are in-keeping with the demands of the EU and it is not just the government that knows about the issues we face.
The public are regularly reminded about environmental issues by the media and by conservation charities, naturalists and scientists. This is perhaps why some people can view this change in a positive light. We know the problems we face, we know what has worked and hasn’t worked whilst being a part of the EU. We are therefore aware of what should be transitioned into something similar to existing EU policies and what needs to change so we can improve.
The UK government wants us to “be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it” and if they listen to the right people, perhaps this really could be achieved.
Want to add your voice to drive the fight for wildlife?
Various nature charities have creature’s backs when it comes to making sure the environment is not forgotten by government. Petitions can help to draw the most important issues to parliament’s attention and they are a great way for you to make your voice heard in-between elections.
Click here to see how the RSPB is encouraging people to speak up for wildlife
Learn more
Learn more about the recent deal made with the EU from the BBC
Read the ‘Woodland Trust’s’ ‘Wood Wise’ publication, which explains the anticipated impact of leaving the EU
See what ‘Whale and Dolphin Conservation’ says about some of the effects of leaving the EU
Read Chris Packham’s thoughts on the action that needs to be taken once we leave the EU