The government of Rishi Sunak has postponed setting enforceable goals to reduce pollution and rehabilitate the environment.
The administration announced that it would miss the October 31 deadline for establishing goals to improve water, air, and wildlife.
Ahead of the COP27 climate summit, MPs and green organisations argued it was embarrassing for the UK to miss the deadline.
The delay comes at a time when the prime minister is under fire for missing COP27.
For choosing not to attend the summit in Egypt next month, Mr. Sunak has been charged with “failure of leadership” by political opponents and environmental activists.
However, Mr. Sunak has justified his choice by stating that although addressing climate change was “important” to him, he was primarily concerned with domestic issues.
The postponement of environmental goals raises more concerns about Mr. Sunak’s dedication to green objectives while his government struggles with domestic economic unrest.
Prior to the COP27 meeting, the government had intended for the aims to be completed so that the UK delegation could convey them to other countries.
The Environment Act, which was passed in November of last year, mandates the setting of at least one target in each of the four key areas of waste reduction; air quality; water quality; and biodiversity.
However, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, however, claimed that the government would not be able to disclose the targets by October 31 as “mandated” by law in a statement to MPs.
The “huge public reaction” to a government consultation on the targets, according to Ms. Coffey, was the cause of the delay.
She said that more than 180,000 people responded to the government’s consultation, which asked for opinions on its target ideas and ended on June 27.
RSPB England tweeted a video of Ms. Lucas asking the prime minister about Liz Truss’s administration’s “wrecking ball” approach to wildlife under the hashtag “AttackOnNature.”
A hereditary member of the House of Lords named Lord Lucas retaliated by taking a profane jab at the environmental organisation.
