The United Kingdom is moving toward a low-carbon future, and the nation’s vote last week to leave the European Union will not stop that, Jonathan Gaventa, a director at the London-based think tank Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G), wrote in an editorial published Monday n Climate Home. “While the UK may be entering a period of economic turmoil after the vote, this does not change the fundamental economic drivers for the energy transition,” Gaventa wrote.
Gaventa noted that climate and energy-related issues played little role in the campaign to leave the EU, and thus it doesn’t seem there is much cause to anticipate a call to significantly change current energy, climate, and environmental policies. “The core task for now for political leaders and civil society in both the UK and EU is to ensure that the new arrangements are at least as robust and effective as before, if not more so,” he said.
Gaventa’s theory will be tested this week as the Department of Energy and Climate Change works to decide on the nation’s next carbon budget, which due by the end of the month.