Environmental promises in the Queen's Speech

The Queen has delivered her speech to Parliament, reiterating the UK's commitment to combatting climate change.

The speech detailed government plans to combat the climate emergency, saying that ministers will 'continue to take steps to meet the world-leading target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050', claiming that the COP26 Summit in 2020 is an example of leading 'the war tackling global climate change'.

A bill will enshrine in law environmental principles and legally-binding targets, including for air quality, and also ban the exports of polluting plastic waste to countries outside the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.