The Antarctic Bill would implement Annex VI (the ‘Liability Annex’) to the Antarctic Treaty’s Environmental Protocol and sets out measures to reduce risks of environmental emergencies in Antarctica. It would also make a number of changes to the Antarctic Act 1994 to give additional protection to the Antarctic environment. This Library Note provides background information in advance of the Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords on 1 February 2013.
Antarctic Bill (HL Bill 76 of 2012-13) (358 KB , PDF)
The Antarctic Bill would implement Annex VI (the ‘Liability Annex’) to the Antarctic Treaty’s Environmental Protocol and sets out measures to reduce risks of environmental emergencies in Antarctica. It would also make a number of changes to the Antarctic Act 1994 to give additional protection to the Antarctic environment. This Library Note provides background information in advance of the Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords on 1 February 2013. It gives brief background on the UK’s involvement in the Antarctic and the Antarctic Treaty, before summarising the Bill’s report stage and third reading in the House of Commons. The Note should be read in conjunction with House of Commons Library Research Paper, Antarctic Bill, (30 October 2012, RP 12/63), and House of Commons Library Standard Note, Antarctic Bill: Committee Stage, (17 January 2013, SN/IA/6528). Also relevant are House of Lords Library Note, Debate on 18 October, Scott Expedition to Antarctica and Scientific Legacy, (16 October 2012, LLN 2012/034) and House of Commons Library Standard Note, Antarctica: The Treaty System and Territorial Claims, (18 July 2012, SN/IA/5040).
Antarctic Bill (HL Bill 76 of 2012-13) (358 KB , PDF)
The Belarusian presidential elections on 9 August 2020 saw President Lukashenko re-elected based on official results. However, media organisations have widely reported that the elections were not free or fair. The UK Government has described Mr Lukashenko’s subsequent inauguration as fraudulent. The election result has led to protests and allegations of human rights abuses in the country.
The Antarctic Treaty is a framework for peaceful coexistence and scientific cooperation in the continent. It was ratified in 1961 by the 12 countries active in Antarctica at the time. 60 years since its ratification, the number of parties to the Antarctic Treaty has increased. However, the challenges facing the continent have also grown, including the threat of climate change to the continent’s ice sheet and the impact of tourism on local flora and fauna.
Students are currently taught about climate change and the environment in several different subjects, for example science and geography. In September 2020, a report by the UK Climate Assembly included the recommendation that climate change should be made a compulsory subject in all schools. The Education (Environment and Sustainable Citizenship) Bill [HL] would make climate change and sustainable citizenship part of the national curriculum taught in maintained schools in England.
![Education (Environment and Sustainable Citizenship) Bill [HL]](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/book-among-flowers-image-1232x924.jpg)
