Ministers have seen off a bill that would have made the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding, after promising Labour backbenchers that they would have input into environmental legislation.
The deal avoids an internal row over the bill, which was introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage but had support from dozens of Labour MPs.
The government came under fire from nature and climate groups this week after it was reported Reeves plans to announce the expansion of Heathrow and other airports, and Keir Starmer announced he would make it more difficult for campaigners to hold up developments for nature protection reasons.
Savage told the Commons on Friday that she had had “some fruitful conversations” with ministers but there was no “urgency of delivery” in the government on climate and nature targets.