Working in partnership with business and civil society, the government is introducing the first ever Green GB Week – an annual week designed to highlight the opportunities clean growth offers the UK and raise understanding of how business and the public can contribute to tackling climate change.

The UK has led the world to date in cutting emissions while creating wealth. Between 1990 and 2016, the UK reduced its emissions by over 40% while growing the economy by more than 2 thirds – the best performance in the G7 on a per person basis.

The global move to cleaner economic growth – through low carbon technologies and the more efficient use of resource – is one of the greatest industrial opportunities of our time.

This is why we put clean growth at the heart of both our Clean Growth Strategy, and the Industrial Strategy through our new Clean Growth Grand Challenge. We want to maximise the economic and industrial advantages of both the global and our domestic shift to clean growth across the whole of the UK.

Launching on 15 October 2018, Green GB Week will showcase the benefits clean growth will bring to all parts of society – from new jobs to cleaner air. We want local communities to embrace this challenge and grow momentum from the ground up.

A diverse range of businesses, civil society groups and government will join forces to tell the story of clean growth and how acting to tackle climate change is a shared endeavour, delivering a week of activity that involves all parts of the country. The week will highlight both the urgent need to tackle climate change and our rapid progress towards building a cleaner economy.

This year the week will focus on celebrating UK leadership on climate change, marking the 10-year anniversary of the Climate Change Act, while highlighting the business opportunity from clean growth and providing a platform for the latest research on the impacts of climate change.

There will be events to showcase the leading role of the UK’s academic community and businesses in new low carbon technologies, innovative financial products and business models that will help us tackle climate change while generating economic growth. It will also provide a focal point to promote British clean businesses to international investors.

A detailed programme for the week is under development, and will include a focus on:

• UK leadership on climate change
• the latest climate science
• the clean technologies of future
• financing the low carbon economy
• clean growth as a business opportunity
• climate action in communities

A consultation on proposed planning reforms for exploratory shale gas development in England has been launched by the government today (19 July 2018).

Seeking views on early proposals looking at the principle of whether to designate exploratory drilling for shale gas resources as a new form of permitted development, it would mean that planning consent would not be required.

With the government committed to ensuring that strong safeguards are in place, any new permitted development right would have to abide by both environmental and site protection laws and would not apply to exploratory drilling in sensitive areas (such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

Exploratory drilling for shale deposits are treated separately to full hydraulic shale gas extraction, both will remain subject to strict planning and environmental controls.

The 14-week consultation, open until 25 October 2018, will make sure that those with an interest in shale development can have their say and input their views.

The government will then analyse the comments and issue its response later in 2018.

A further consultation on any specific legislative reforms will follow the government’s response if these are required.

Government will also consult on whether developers should be required to undertake pre-application community engagement prior to submitting a planning application for shale gas development. This consultation will be launched in autumn 2018.

View the consultation document on Gov.uk

The consultation follows the publication of a written ministerial statement on the 17 May 2018, in which the government announced a range of measures to facilitate timely decision making on shale exploration planning applications.

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice today announced the reappointment of Mr Nicholas Paines QC as Commissioner of the Law Commission for a period of five years from 18 November 2018 to 17 November 2023.

The Commission was created by the Law Commission Act 1965 with the role of keeping under review the law of England and Wales with a view to its systematic development and reform. Commissioners, including the Chairman, are appointed by the Lord Chancellor. The Law Commission’s role is to promote the reform of the law to make it clearer, more modern and more accessible. The Commission’s projects bring real benefits to the public, businesses or other organisations affected by old, complex and out-of-date law.

Mr Paines was appointed as Law Commissioner with responsibility for public law on 18 November 2013. Mr Paines has also taken on overall responsibility for the Law Commission’s work in relation to the law in Wales. He was formerly a leading silk in EU and public law and sits as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Administrative Court and as a Deputy Tribunal Judge. He is also a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland.

This reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Public appointments to the Law Commission are made by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

He has declared no political activity.