Splitting away from the European Union wonât just choke the British economy. British companies may end up creating more trash and dirtying the air in the wake of the Brexit, according to a new report.
When the EUâs ambitious targets for reducing waste and increasing recycling first went into effect two years ago, the United Kingdom pushed back, insisting that it would be too expensive for businesses to comply. Once negotiations to leave the EU are complete â a process that could take two years or more â U.K. legislators may scale back those regulations, found a report examining environmental and social governance at U.K. corporations from investor research firm Sustainalytics.
âRecycling rights in the U.K. trailed off in the last few years,â Doug Morrow, a Toronto-based associate director at Sustainalytics who co-authored the report, told The Huffington Post. âWe wouldnât be surprised if we found a relaxation of the recycling targets.â
Companies polluting the air in England may be able to breathe easier, too. In memos leaked to The Guardian in May, Rory Stewart â the Conservative environment minister under Prime Minister David Cameron, who announced his resignation in the wake of the Brexit vote â urged British members of the European parliament to undermine new EU regulations on air pollution by pushing for an amendment allowing Britain to exceed those standards. Â Such a change would give leeway to sectors that emit a lot of carbon into the atmosphere, such as the auto industry.
âWe would not be surprised if, once the terms [of the Brexit] are renegotiated, the U.K. moved to relax some of the domestic air pollution standards,â Morrow said. âItâs relatively well known that the U.K. has struggled with implementing some of the EUâs directives on this front.â
In January, just eight days into the new year, London had already breached the EUâs air pollution limits.
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