Environmental impact of Brexit?

[reallybadidea]

Has this been assessed at all? Surely if we're not going to be trading with our closest neighbours in the EU so much and making trade deals with other countries instead, then the distance goods need to travel will increase massively? Which would be terrible for the environment. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?!

I'm not sure it has been assessed as such, but I'm sure it will make a difference. Added to the additional transport there is the issue that other countries are not as heavily regulated on environmental matters as European countries - a product made in China for instance is likely to have a bigger environmental impact than the same product made in France. It will be cheaper too, so this is a problem regardless of Brexit.

Hopefully Britain will retain the environmental protection we have now, but as much of this is in response to European legislation there would be nothing to stop a government rewriting all of our environmental and health and safety laws to suit their own purposes.

We have already had to set up an environmental watchdog to 'keep an eye' on the government like the EU currently do. It's supposedly impartial to keep us compliant with our own legislation otherwise, with Europe gone, there's nobody o hold our government to account.

Hopefully this is all just worst case scenario, but it might be more possible than people think.

Carbon emissions generally track economic growth, so if the UK's economy was trashed by Brexit then you would probably find that carbon emissions would go down.

The idea that trade with the rest of the world is going to increase dramatically is just a brexiter fantasy. Companies which want to trade outside the EU already can.

The impact of Brexit is more likely to be on the local environment - eg increased pollution, loss of natural habitats - if deregulation leads to lower standards.

www.brexitenvironment.co.uk/

www.brexitenvironment.co.uk/tag/common-environmental-frameworks/

The idea that trade with the rest of the world is going to increase dramatically is just a brexiter fantasy

Maybe - or maybe not;

www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-south-africa-to-co-lead-initiative-on-digital-trade-aiming-to-boost-commonwealth-trade-to-2tn

Exports to the former British colonies, ;some of which are very small countries) were just 9% of UK exports in 2015. House of Commons Research. The value of those exports has been falling in the past few years.
By contrast 44% go to other EU countries.

We are aiming to almost quadruple trade between Commonwealth countries by 2030

Even the d Aussie PM said Claims Britain will be able to recuperate its trade losses with the EU by dealing with Commonwealth nations are “utter bollocks”.

If Commonwealth trade would increase outside the EU it would increase within it too. Through our existing EU trading arrangements we have already maximised out trade with the Commonwealth countries all listed below.

The world's economy chart shows the commonwealth is small fry in terms of GDP. And we trade with the Commonwealth now PLUS the EU.

A+B is not bigger than Just B

It’s flawed logic to suggest that we need to leave the EU in order to do more trade with the Commonwealth.

We already maximise trade with Commonwealth countries through existing EU trade deals that we helped negotiate.
In 2016:
• UK exports of goods and services to the entire Commonwealth was 8.9% of all British exports (the same as UK exports to Germany).
• UK exports to the EU accounted for 43.1% of all UK exports.
• UK imports of goods and services accounted for 7.8% of all British imports (roughly the same as UK imports from China);
• UK imports from the EU accounted for 53.9% of all UK imports..

As EU members we have EU trade at 43% PLUS preferential trade agreements (in the form of a Free Trade Agreement or an Economic Partnership Agreement) with the following Commonwealth states:
• Canada
• Cameroon
• Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.
• Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.
• Papua New Guinea and Fiji

Combined, these countries accounted for 29.8% of UK exports to the Commonwealth and 28.0% of UK imports from the Commonwealth.
The EU has ongoing negotiations on preferential trade agreements (in the form of a Free Trade Agreement or an Economic Partnership Agreement) with the following Commonwealth countries:
• India
• Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore
• Malawi, Zambia, Mauritius and the Seychelles
• Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
• Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

In summary:

•	64.2% of UK exports to the Commonwealth are with countries that we already a trade deal with the EU
•	BUT all those countries only amount to 8.9% of total UK exports going to the Commonwealth.

By contrast, roughly 43% of UK exports went to EU countries in 2016. Why jeopardise the 43% when we’ve already got the commonwealth too?

Enhancing UK trade with the Commonwealth post-Brexit are extremely limited.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-uk-trade-commonwealth-kevin-rudd-australia-a8818996.html

Britishh illusion off Commonwealth tradee after Brexitt

15%%oftheeworld’s_trade

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2015/12/10/the-commonwealth-and-the-eu-lets-do-trade-with-both/LSE

Sorry A+B is* bigger than just B!

The world's economy in one chart. This shows how the (mostly small economy) Commonwealth countries can not replace our trade with EU countries.

And we already maximised trade with those Commonwealth countries plus the other EU member states anyway.

lonelyplanetmum
It’s flawed logic to suggest that we need to leave the EU in order to do more trade with the Commonwealth

Apparently we've already voted to leave the EU. Who says we are going to stop trading with the EU as well?

We already maximise trade with Commonwealth countries through existing EU trade deals that we helped negotiate.

The government's own (one of your favourite phrases) Department for International Trade says we don't as per my link;

Global access to the internet could generate more than 140 million new jobs in the developing world, while doubling the number of women online could add $13-18 billion to annual GDP across the developing world.

In addition, only 6% of people in the Commonwealth shop online, but it is estimated that universal broadband could add up to $1 trillion to the annual GDP of the Commonwealth.

Even the Aussie PM

Your link says that Kevin Rudd was a former Australian PM, not the current one - from 2007-2010 and briefly (for 3 months) in 2013.
He is the current president of the Asia Society Policy Institute - a think tank.

He refers to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India in the article, but my link does actually refer to a co-led initiative with South Africa;

UK and South Africa to co-lead initiative on digital trade;
www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-south-africa-to-co-lead-initiative-on-digital-trade-aiming-to-boost-commonwealth-trade-to-2tn

The EU has ongoing negotiations on preferential trade agreements (in the form of a Free Trade Agreement or an Economic Partnership Agreement) with the following Commonwealth countries: India

According to your link, Kevin Rudd says that free trade with India is a dead loss because of their protectionist policies - he doesn't expect the EU to make much progress with India then? There is obviously scope for the UK to increase trade with India though;

India is the world’s fastest growing ‘large economy’ and is undergoing a significant digital transformation.

www.asianwealthmag.com/articles/cross-border-fund-utilise-uks-tech-expertise-indias-digital-economy/

UK remains world leader in tech innovation;

workplaceinsight.net/uk-remains-a-world-leader-in-technological-innovation/

UK minister launches UK-India future tech festival;
www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-minister-launches-uk-india-futuretech-festival

Kevin Rudd is also a senior advisor to Chatham House, another think tank. When I googled Chatham House - this French financial newspaper popped up - describing Chatham House as an anti-Brexit Gentleman's Club - how odd;

le club de l'élite anti-Brexit

weekend.lesechos.fr/business-story/enquetes/0600890113902-chatham-house-le-club-de-lelite-anti-brexit-2252648.php