IEMA critiques the pros and cons of the Defra ‘Green Tape’ Review

DEFRA has now published Dan Corry’s review into the regulatory landscape’s compatibility with driving both economic growth and nature recovery.

IEMA the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) took a look at the key recommendations and areas of concern.

IEMA supports the review’s stance that progress should be driven by evidence-based improvements, not a “bonfire of regulations.” It advocates for regulatory systems that foster economic growth, restore ecosystems, and protect both people and nature and identifies key areas of alignment between IEMA and the review, however IEMA has concerns about several areas where the review falls short including Planning reform. IEMA thinks the review does not reaffirm the importance of comprehensive environmental impact assessments, especially in relation to climate change, social impacts, and public health, and fails to guarantee that core safeguards will be preserved – raising doubts about future regulatory rigour.

Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, said: “While the review raises recommendations which IEMA supports, it would be remiss of us to ignore the emphasis on ‘removing burdens’ and ‘reducing delays’ throughout it, which may inadvertently promote a deregulatory agenda. This has the potential to weaken environmental protections, rather than bolstering them at a time when we need them the most.”

To read IEMA’s full response to the review click here