Access laws on green data 'ignored by Government'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THE EUROPEAN Commission has fired a warning shot at the British government for ignoring new laws on public access to environmental information, writes Susan Watts.
It has written to the Department of the Environment complaining that it is breaching key elements of a directive which came into force last December.
The main allegation is that the departmentis failing to guide other government departments and local councils on how they should collate and publish information on issues ranging from waste dumps to polluting factories and the destruction of wildlife habitats.
Such data should be made easily accessible, but public bodies differ wildly in their commitment to this goal. Some hold information on computer databases, while others store it on slips of paper in cardboard boxes.
The Department of the Environment said it was preparing a 'robust reply' setting out why it believes it has interpreted the regulations correctly.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments