Environmental regulation, coronavirus and net zero

摘要

I conclude with three areas for environmental lawyers to consider over the coming year. First, hitting net-zero targets, particularly the Environment Agency's ambitious 2030 net-zero target, is challenging but it is also inspiringly doing what the evidence suggests is necessary. All public and private bodies have to make choices soon about how they operate in future and environmental lawyers have a vital role in advising those organisations. The inflection point for a green, fair and just recovery creating sustainable jobs has arrived. Weakened NGOs are perhaps a very real risk as they need to still exist to deliver projects for a green recovery. Unprecedented coalitions from the business, investment (including the pension scheme I am a trustee of whose members overwhelmingly want to retire in a world worth living in) and NGO spheres are pushing hard for a green - not brown - recovery and building back better, but success is not certain.