General Election
On Wednesday 22nd May, Rishi Sunak unexpectedly called a summer general election. Six weeks of drama, entertainment and considered debate followed as the UK’s political leaders discussed a range of important policy areas, such as the Economy, the NHS and education. However, the environment, which has become an important fixture of progressive political discourse in recent years, was rather disappointingly relegated to the sidelines for large portions of the campaign. But why?
One possibility is that environmental policy has become decisive for the voter base in the UK. In September 2023, Sunak announced a rollback of the UK’s existing Net Zero commitments, most notably shifting the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030 to 2035. This decision followed a hard-fought by-election campaign in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, during which Labour’s supportive stance on Ultra Low Emissions Zones ultimately cost them defeat. Likewise, earlier this year Starmer announced a U-turn on Labour’s pledge to spend £28bn per year to help green the economy.
Culture of reuse
Across the last year we have seen environmental policy become far more controversial, particularly in relation to how much its implementation will cost working people. Indeed, the Conservatives sought to utilise this messaging in their manifesto, advocating for a “pragmatic and proportionate approach” to Net Zero that will cut the cost of tackling climate change for households and businesses. The Conservatives in-turn described Labour’s approach to environmental policy as “dogmatic” and one which will “burden households with higher bills.”
Following the election, the UK needs a Prime Minister and a governing Party that is brave enough to detoxify national conversations surrounding the environment. Within its manifesto, Labour confirmed it would strive to reduce waste by moving toward a circular economy. However, the manifesto did not include a specific zero-waste target for 2050, despite Environment Secretary Steve Reed mentioning this aspiration in public appearances earlier this year. If the Labour Party is serious about creating widespread change and implementing a decade of national renewal, it must strive to take international leadership on issues relating to the environment and work to instill a greater culture of reuse across the country.
Sustainable drinking solutions
At BRITA, we are committed to finding sustainable drinking solutions for consumers to help minimise plastic waste and to help protect our natural environment. A staggering 10 million plastic bottles are sold every day in the UK and billions of plastic bottles are littered, landfilled and incinerated each year. Yet we believe that if given the option, consumers will always reach for the reusable and choose sustainable alternatives to plastic. Indeed, according to analysis carried out by Retail Economics, a staggering 70% of adults would prefer to use a refillable water bottle if it was easier to refill in public spaces.
There clearly exists a strong willingness among UK consumers to protect the environment and promote sustainable alternatives. However, the goodwill of consumers alone is not enough to create lasting and impactful change. We need definitive political leadership from the Government alongside ambitious targets to reduce waste.
BRITA x LTA
BRITA’s partnership with the LTA is a great example of how providing consumers with a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles will reduce overall waste whilst encouraging a much larger culture of reuse. Indeed, the presence of our dispensers and refillable bottles at ATP and WTA events in Nottingham, Birmingham, Eastbourne and the Queen’s Club are predicted to save over 100,000 plastic bottles.
Overall, we are at a crucial junction in the ongoing battle to protect our natural environment. Now is the time for the Government to take strong and decisive action on plastic waste and encourage a greater culture of reuse and refill across the country. Additionally, the 5th round of the UN Global Plastics Treaty will be taking place in South Korea in November. This is a fantastic opportunity for the new Government to assert international leadership on the plastics crisis and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to reducing plastic waste across the globe.
Breaking records
One notable takeaway from the general election is the gains made by the Green Party, who now boast a record four seats in Parliament, having received 1.9 million votes. This renewed support for the Greens highlights the existence for a greater environmental consciousness throughout British politics. Likewise, the Liberal Democrats also gained a record number of seats, following an engaging campaign from leader Ed Davey. Notably, the Liberal Democrats ran a campaign that recognised the importance of the environment, committing to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme, whilst also pledging to protect 30% of the World’s oceans by 2030. At BRITA we are hopeful that the electoral success achieved by both the Greens and the Liberal Democrats sends a clear message to Downing Street that environmental policy should be firmly on the agenda.
Protecting our environment
British adults consistently rank the environment as one of their top three ‘most important issues facing the country in polls. It is clear that we are at a crucial junction in the ongoing efforts to protect our natural environment. Now is the time for the new Government to take strong and decisive action on plastic waste and encourage a greater culture of reuse and refill across the country. Additionally, the 5th round of the UN Global Plastics Treaty will be taking place in South Korea in November. This is a fantastic opportunity for Labour to assert international leadership on the plastics crisis and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to reducing plastic waste across the globe.
Overall, the election results have shown us that the people of Britain care deeply about the state of the environment, government must now heed this strong electoral signal and reflect the wishes of the public as it begins to craft its legislative agenda.
