Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of measures to protect wildlife habitats in the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Our published draft Environment (Principles and Governance) clauses form part of our broader Environment Bill.
The draft clauses set out the environmental principles and the creation of a policy statement together with a new system of green governance for when we leave the EU.
Further measures being planned for the Environment Bill will help us take action to enhance our environment, including wildlife habitats.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to introduce the Environment Bill; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Bill will be introduced early in the second Session of this Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of legally binding targets for reducing air pollutants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Targets play an important role in driving action to reduce emissions from pollution sources to improve air quality. This is why we have committed to setting a new long term target for PM2.5 in our Clean Air Strategy, in addition to meeting our 2020 and 2030 emissions ceilings under the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive. We will publish evidence soon on what action would be needed to meet WHO guidelines.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the use of plastic; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government published the Resources and Waste Strategy last year, setting out our plans to reduce, reuse and recycle more plastic than we do now. Our target is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste throughout the life of the 25 Year Environment Plan, but for the most problematic plastics we are going faster.
The 5p charge on plastic bags has reduced their use significantly and we have now consulted on increasing this charge and extending it to all retailers. We have also imposed a ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and have consulted on banning plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.
We are currently consulting on extending producer responsibility for packaging, so that producers will be responsible for the full costs of managing packaging waste. We are also exploring the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers and increasing consistency in the recycling system. We will develop legislative proposals taking account of the consultation responses.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent international discussions he has had on the sustainable (a) supply and (b) use of palm oil; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Officials of the Department attended a regular meeting of the Amsterdam Declaration Partnership in October last year to discuss its coordination and delivery. Through the Amsterdam Declarations we are working with businesses and other governments to strengthen governance, promote market-based solutions and put in place incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production of palm oil alongside forest protection.
Whilst attending UNFCCC COP24 in Katowice, Poland last December I met the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar from the Republic of Indonesia; palm oil production and the importance of producing it sustainably were discussed.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce domestic demand for palm oil in the biofuel and food industries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to support and protect the world’s forests, supporting sustainable agriculture and zero-deforestation supply chains, including for palm oil. The plan led to the establishment of a Global Resource Initiative aimed at reducing deforestation caused by UK demand for commodities, including palm oil.
The Government also helped convene the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and is working with the signatories of the Amsterdam Declaration on increasing the uptake of sustainable palm oil. The latest report from the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil indicates that the UK achieved 75% certified sustainable palm oil in 2017.
Biofuels made from palm oil have not been reported for supply under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in the last three years and the use of non-waste oils in biofuel is minimal. The Government has agreed to focus on utilising waste derived biofuels, which generally have higher greenhouse gas savings. The most recent changes to the RTFO, which set out the UK biofuel policy to 2032, include a cap on the contribution of crop based biofuels in the UK, decreasing from 4% in 2020 to 2% in 2032.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the sustainability of palm oil production; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to support and protect the world’s forests, supporting sustainable agriculture and zero-deforestation supply chains, including for palm oil.
The market for sustainable palm oil is dominated by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and so ’sustainable’ in this context is commonly understood to mean products certified to RSPO standards and criteria.
The UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil convened by the UK Government is working to improve reporting, traceability and understanding of supply chains to ensure continuous improvement and increased use of certified palm oil. The UK monitors the proportion of certified sustainable palm oil imported to the UK. The latest annual report from the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil indicates that the UK achieved 75% certified sustainable palm oil in 2017.