UK Government Shuts Down Climate Change Department In Major Reshuffle

In a major departmental reshuffle in the United Kingdom, the government has decided to shut down the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), following a series of political events in the country, starting with Brexit and the appointment of a new prime minister.

The DECC will be merged into an expanded Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to be headed by Greg Clark, BBC reported.

Clark expressed excitement over the leadership opportunity, which he said could further the government's relationship with the business sector and can better deliver affordable and clean energy.

Andrea Leadsom has been appointed by new Prime Minister Theresa May as environment secretary.

The move to axe the department has been met with criticism, with former energy and climate secretary Ed Miliband calling the act "plain stupid."

In his Twitter, Miliband of Labour said the lack of the word "climate" in the title shows the priorities of the department and the government.

DECC abolition just plain stupid. Climate not even mentioned in new dept. title. Matters because depts shape priorities shape outcomes.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) July 14, 2016

However, some groups also see the move having a positive outcome. David Nussbaum, chief executive of World Wildlife Fund of U.K. said the new department can be a "real powerhouse for change."

The deparment's office will be the new headquarters of the Brexit ministry.

Crucial time for UK

The move to axe the DECC comes at a crucial time as the U.K. aims for the ratification of the climate deal inked in Paris in December 2015.

Also recently, the government advisers at the Committe on Climate Change released a report that the country was not prepared for possible extreme weather conditions in the future brought by global warming, as per Climate Change News.

Leadsom, a Brexit campaigner, also faces criticism as she once questioned whether climate change is real.

The Independent reported on several worrying moves by Leadsom in the past, including her support on fox hunting and backing government policy on selling off Britain's forests.