What’s the green agenda of the various parties? What’s their green score out of ten? Abergavenny & Crickhowell Friends of the Earth investigate.
CONSERVATIVES
“Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing our world… We are investing in all forms of lower-carbon energy, including shale gas and nuclear.”
David Cameron, international climate talks, Sept. 2014
High Points:
- Introduced National Pollinator Strategy to save bees (but opposed the banning of neocotinoids.)
- Created some Marine Conservation Zones.
Low Points:
- Introduced a new law creating a duty on Government to “maximise the exploitation of fossil fuels.”
- Blocked a decarbonisation target in 2013 Energy Act.
- Tried to sell off our forests.
- Presided over a huge decline of Nature Conservation sites.
- Cut flood defence spending.
- Failed to meet EU air pollution targets.
- Weakened the planning system to help developers.
Mark: 1/10
GREENS
“We offer a route towards an economy and a society that works for the common good within the environmental limits of our planet.”
Natalie Bennett, Sept. 2014
High Points:
- Green MP Caroline Lucas blockaded Balcombe to prevent fracking and got arrested.
- Voted for a decarbonisation target, to ban fracking, and against new subsidies for coal and nuclear power.
- Supported the call for a strong national pollinator strategy and to ban neocotinoids.
- Introduced a Bill in Parliament to bring railway franchises back into public ownership.
Low Points:
- Brighton bin mess gave a bad name to green government.
Mark: 9.5/10
LABOUR
“We commit Britain to making our electricity supply carbon-free by 2030… We will not make the economy an excuse for dragging our feet on climate change.”
Ed Milliband, Dec. 2013
High Points:
- Voted for a 2030 decarbonisation target in line with Independent Commisssion on Climate Change advice.
- Support a national network of low-emission zones to help tackle air pollution.
- Supported a National Pollinator Strategy.
- Support measures for all schools to run on sun.
- Voted for limits to emissions from coal.
Low Points:
- Support fracking
- Did not support new European binding targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency
Mark: 6/10
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
“Laws to reduce carbon from our electricity sector…Legal targets for clean air and water. Give everyone access to green space…Boost energy efficiency and renewable energy…”
Nick Clegg, Oct 2014
High Points:
- Secured funding for renewable energy up to 2020.
- Fought George Osborne to secure and keep the 4th carbon budget target in the Climate Change Act.
Low Points:
- Voted against a target to decarbonise electricity by 2030 in the 2013 Energy Act
- Support Fracking
- Opposed binding targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- Went back on their promise not to subsidise nuclear power.
- Introduced new subsidies for coal.
- Supported the weakening of the planning system to make it more developer friendly.
Mark: 3/10
PLAID CYMRU
- Proven track record of strongly pro-environmental policies, from a moratorium on fracking to opposing the new M4, open-cast mining, nuclear and GM food
Mark: 9.5/10
UKIP
- A formally climate-sceptic party.
Mark: 0
Taken from “General Election 2015: An insiders’ guide”, Spring 2015 of Earth Matters, the magazine of Friends of The Earth, which is a non- profit-making and non-political organisation. It is not engaged in supporting candidates for political office
