This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Make it compulsory for food products to have environmental impact traffic lights
This proposal is to mandate environmental health traffic lights of carbon footprint, water use & packaging recyclability on food products similar to the sugar/salt health traffic lights. This will enable people to make informed choices on the environmental impact of the goods they are buying.
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We all need to make changes to limit the effects of climate change in our future and in our children's future. There is a growing movement across the country to 'do the right thing' but this can be a daunting task for an individual - are bananas shipped from Africa less environmentally damaging than satsumas grown in Spain?
Also, if the awareness of the environmental impact of different foods is increased, then people who are less informed are also more likely to make lower impact choices.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Related activity
Tell MPs what you think about the Climate Assembly’s recommendations for net-zero emissions
MPs from six select committees of the House of Commons joined together to set up a citizens’ assembly on climate change to look at how the UK should reach its commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Climate Assembly UK brought together 108 people from across the UK. Together they were representative of the wider UK population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, where in the UK they live, whether they live in an urban or rural area, and how concerned they are about climate change.
They worked together to create recommendations to Government.
How can you help?
MPs want to know what you and your communities think about the recommendations made by the assembly.
Discuss these questions with your school, workplace, family or community group and submit a joint response. It’s a great opportunity to hear others’ views on these issues and to share the outcomes of your discussions with MPs.
Share your answers via this online survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/A464RU/
Please return your responses by Friday 20th November 2020.
Read more about the Assembly and its recommendations: https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/blog/tell-the-climate-assembly-what-your-group-thinks-about-their-recommendations/
Information provided in the survey will be used to inform the select committees’ ongoing work on net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
What is a Select Committee?
Select Committees are cross-party groups of MPs. They are independent of the Government.
Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
MPs call on the Government to make the UK a leader in global biodiversity
MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee have published a new report on the UK's footprint on global biodiversity.
Read the report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmenvaud/674/67402.htm
In the report, the committee said the Government must strengthen its own sustainable procurement policies, and it should be illegal for UK businesses to use deforestation-linked commodities, if the UK is to demonstrate global leadership to protect nature.
The committee also called on the Government to:
- Set an environmental footprint target by launching a consultation ahead of COP15 on how to model the overseas environmental impact of UK consumption.
- Conduct sustainability impact assessments for all future trade agreements.
- Increase sustainability within UK supply chains requiring all forest-risk commodities to be certified as sustainably produced.
What happens next?
The Government now must respond to the committee's report, which was published on 30 September 2021, within two months. The committee will publish the Government’s response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/
What is the Environmental Audit Committee?
The Environmental Audit Committee is a cross-party group of non-Government MPs who look into how Government policies and departments contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.
Find out more about the committee on their website:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/
Follow the committee on Twitter for updates on its work:
https://twitter.com/CommonsEAC
The Environmental Audit Committee is a select committee. Find out how select committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c