Key Facts

• Signe Norberg is the public affairs manager at Aldersgate Group.
• Edward Lockhart-Mummery is the convener of the Broadway Initiative.
• Martin Baxter is the chief policy adviser at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, which houses the Broadway Initiative.
• The OEP has an important role in providing confidence in the overall environmental system.
• Paragraph 2(1) of schedule 1 could be amended to require confirmation from parliamentary committees for non-executive members' appointments.
• Schedule 1 should establish a five-year funding cycle to ensure independence and certainty beyond current government.
• The Environment Bill aims to provide long-term clarity for businesses.
• A survey of 370 people working in various organisations found that 95% supported having objectives in the Bill.
• Business members represent £550 billion of global turnover.
• Interim targets help drive progress in the intermediate term.
• Long-term targets indicate the direction of travel.
• Businesses should be part of owning some of these targets.
• Roger Gale acknowledges the need for other Members to participate.
• Signe Norberg represents an alliance of businesses, non-governmental organisations, and academic institutions.
• Edward Lockhart-Mummery represents the Broadway Initiative which includes mainstream business organisations across sectors.
• The OEP is meant to hold public authorities accountable.
• The Bill gives powers to the Secretary of State for setting up an overall framework to meet targets, working with the chair of the independent OEP.
• There is a Government ambition to prevent a governance gap in the interim period by including an interim chief executive officer in the Bill.
• The Dutch Environment and Planning Act has clear objectives.
• The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 includes overarching environmental objectives.
• Local nature recovery strategies are mentioned in the nature chapter.
• Roger Gale thanks the previous witnesses (Ms Norberg, Mr Lockhart-Mummery, and Mr Baxter) for their contributions.
• Martin Curtois identifies himself as executive affairs director at Veolia, which employs 15,000 people in waste management.
• Andrew Poole is deputy head of policy at the Federation of Small Businesses representing 160,000 small business members.
• David Bellamy is senior environment policy manager at the Food and Drink Federation, which represents the largest manufacturing sector in the UK.
• Andrew Poole mentions the diversity of small business operations across various sectors.
• Recycling rates in comparison with other countries highlight areas for improvement.
• Roger Gale responds to points about single-use plastics.
• The environmental consequences of using other products can sometimes be worse than those of plastic.
• A plant in Dagenham recycles many of the plastic milk bottles used in London into plastic pellets.
• Developing kit that recognizes black plastic used in TRESemmé shampoo bottles allows for more efficient recycling.
• Roger Gale addresses the need for a holistic approach in implementing recycling reforms.
• Small businesses face challenges in accessing municipal waste collection services, leading to higher costs and uncertainty about waste disposal practices.
• Andrew Poole suggests providing small businesses with access to domestic-focused waste collection services as a potential solution.
• The industry estimates a £10 billion business opportunity for investment in UK domestic infrastructure.
• There will be mandatory collection of food waste above a certain limit to reduce carbon impact.
• Businesses are urged to look at potential alternatives to plastic and improve the recyclability of existing formats.
• Brands are increasingly prioritizing sustainability due to consumer demand.
• A plastics tax requiring 30% recycled content can drive investment in reprocessing facilities.
• Research shows consumers will pay extra for sustainable containers like water bottles with clearly labelled recycled content.
• The statement highlights the importance of voluntary compliance by businesses.
• Andrew Poole discusses the potential mandatory food waste audits and their impact on businesses.
• Public consultation is seen as essential for developing detailed policies through secondary legislation.
• The UK has 10 energy recovery facilities, three of which have district heating.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy plans a heat road map proposed for June.
• Landfills in the UK are running out.