The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, has offered key assurances to business, in a positive letter to CBI Director-General, Carolyn Fairbairn.
Carolyn wrote to Mr Gove in May to deliver important messages for the government to consider when delivering on the aims of the strategy. The letter urged the importance of collaboration between government and business to achieving a circular economy, warned against increasing regulatory complexity on firms and made the point that business action must be matched by positive changes to consumer behaviour.
Mr Gove’s letter in response welcomed the CBI’s alignment with the ambition of the RWS to make the UK a world leader in sustainability, and emphasised the government’s willingness to support and collaborate with business to achieve this goal.
The Secretary of State also responded to the important points raised in Carolyn’s letter, and pledges to take these into account as the government develop more detailed proposals.
Highlights from the letter
- The government will seek to support business to adopt more resource efficient business models through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
- Money raised from business through any RWS initiatives will be invested back into system to support the management of packaging waste and achieve agreed targets and outcomes. Many CBI members reported that the resources and waste system needs additional funding but wanted assurances that all money raised from firms goes straight back into improving it
- The government will continue to work with devolved administrations to coordinate policy and ensure that approaches are aligned so that impacts on the UK internal market are minimised. On the Deposit Return Scheme, the government’s preference is to adopt a UK-wide approach if it is introduced. This is important to ensure that businesses do not have to deal with two separate schemes within the UK
- Defra agrees that business action on sustainability should be matched by positive changes in consumer behaviour. This is crucial as business’ efforts to improve sustainability will be severely undermined if consumers aren’t empowered to be a part of the journey towards a circular economy.
Next steps
The CBI will continue to be actively involved in progressing this issue in a way that works for businesses in all industries. With a new Prime Minister entering office later in July and the likelihood of a new Environment Secretary, the CBI will be working ensure that the implementation of this important strategy continues as planned and does not stall.
We are also playing a key role in shaping the delivery of the strategy as members of Defra’s RWS Stakeholder Advisory Group. Sustainability and circular economy will also feature as part of a CBI summit on energy and the environment, taking place on Green GB Week in November 2019.
If you would like to put forward your perspective on the RWS as we help shape the future direction and implementation of the strategy, then please get in touch with Andy Williams.