Responding to the King’s Speech, Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, Rebecca Newsom, said:
“Keir Starmer has hit the ground running. From powering up GB Energy to moving towards bringing the railways back into public ownership, the Prime Minister is wasting no time in setting in motion the bold, progressive change his government promised to tackle the climate emergency.
“GB Energy and Great British Railways should help slash emissions from the most polluting sectors in society, as well as curbing spiralling costs for bill payers and commuters in the long term. But for the government to get on and deliver the cheap power, warm homes, trains, buses and clean rivers we all desperately want, it should invest, invest, invest. Only then can they deliver the green jobs of tomorrow, cut our bills for good and allow nature to flourish.
“While it’s great to see momentum on the energy transition, this speech was thin on protecting nature. The most glaring omission was any mention of the Global Ocean Treaty which would help protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. This is a big disappointment given Labour committed to ratifying this vital UN agreement during its election campaign. Ministers must now introduce new primary legislation – or risk jeopardising the UK’s global leadership on ocean protection.
“Overall, this King’s Speech is a world away from what was put forward last year and marks a significant step change in political leadership on climate. But more leadership is still needed on ocean protection, which is hugely popular with voters and vital for the resilience of our planet.”
Contact: Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255
Notes to editor:
Read Greenpeace UK’s briefing on the King’s Speech and the first key tests for the Labour government here
