An anti-Brexit campaigner has called for environmental damage to be made a criminal offense – with major polluters facing up to ten years in prison or fines of up to £3.85m.
Gina Miller is now leader of a party that joins other campaign groups in warning Britain is falling far behind European Union according to environmental Protect.
She said introducing the offense of “ecocide” – a term defined as an unlawful or wanton act committed with the knowledge that serious, serious consequences are likely to occur – would prevent the UK from becoming “the filthy, sick, poor country of Europe”. Cause widespread or long-term damage to the environment.
The businesswoman said progress on environmental policy in the UK was being held back by Brexit and inertia within the country’s main political parties.
Meanwhile, the EU became the first international body to criminalize large-scale environmental damage, with MEPs in February adopting an updated version of the organisation’s Environmental Crime Directive, giving member states two years to incorporate it into their national law.
France already has similar legislation in place.
In recent months there has been growing concern Pollution of UK waterwaysand urban air pollution Expanding the ultra-low emission zone last year.
Ms Miller, who rose to prominence by launching legal battles over Brexit, said: “Brexit has allowed us to weaken our environmental rules and weaken our climate ambitions.
“Not only are we lagging far behind Europe, we have lost all credibility as a global leader in environmental protection.
“We were once called Europe’s poor. Unless our politicians seriously address the need for strong, pragmatic rules and regulations to protect our countries from the negative impacts of climate change, we will become Europe’s dirty, poor people. Sick poor.”
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Environmental campaigners, including broadcaster Chris Packham, welcomed the move.
Fighting Dirty director Georgia Elliott-Smith said: “The crime of ecocide would hold directors personally responsible for destroying the environment and hold them responsible for cleaning up the mess.”
A DEFRA spokesperson responded: “We are clear about strengthening the UK’s already high standards of environmental protection, setting out new legally binding targets under our Environment Act, and many of our statutory schemes equal or exceed EU targets.
“We have a clear polluter pays principle in law under the Environment Act and we are taking tough action with four times the inspections of water companies and changing the law so that polluters face unlimited penalties from the Environment Agency to Holding polluters accountable, these penalties are faster, more effective and easier to enforce. “
Ms Miller, who is running in the next general election as leader of the Truth and Fair Party, claims that around 85% of UK environmental protection comes from EU legislation.
The Truth and Fair Party was founded in 2021 to “shape a fairer, more hopeful future for our country. Integrity, transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of our democracy,” according to its website.
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