EBS 2018: Brexit must not hamper sustainable development efforts

Policymakers must not let Brexit distract them from their efforts to boost sustainable development, says Seb Dance.

Seb Dance | Photo credit: Natalie Hill

By Seb Dance

Former Labour MEP for London, Seb Dance was a Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Deputy Leader of the UK Labour MEP Delegation

23 May 2018

@SebDance


The ongoing uncertainty caused by Brexit poses a huge challenge to European business.

Where for many years we have had barrier-free trade in goods and services, free movement of people, and shared regulatory standards, we now face the prospect of border delays, customs checks and regulatory divergence. 

This is an unwelcome and time-consuming distraction at a time when we should be hoping all businesses could be fully focused on the other great challenge of our time - playing an active role in building a greener, healthier, sustainable future. 

As this summit will show, many companies are doing great work to support and uphold the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals, and we must not let anything, not least a chaotic Brexit, hamper those efforts.