The UK government attempted to get the European Union to water down climate and energy rules when prime minister Theresa May officially triggered Brexit negotiations, according to documents seen by Greenpeace.
The environmentalist group claimed the leaked documents indicate that British ministers on March 29 lobbied to weaken EU goals on renewable energy use, despite the rules not being due to come into force until after the UK had left the bloc.
The intervention, involving a British delegation led by secretary of state for leaving the EU David Davis, could indicate that the government will weaken EU climate rules once they are transposed into UK law, Greenpeace said.
“The government is trying to lock the rest of the EU into weaker energy policies, just as we are leaving,” said Greenpeace UK’s head of energy Hannah Martin.
“The message ministers seem to be sending is that Brexit could trigger a race to the bottom and be used as cover for getting rid of key environmental safeguards.”
Image: SXC
UK ‘sought weaker climate rules’
Greenpeace claims government tried to water down EU renewable goals
By EBS