2019 UK ELECTION MANIFESTO REVIEW This report contains the key environmental manifesto pledges, worded true to their original form but occasionally expressed more briefly, from each of the major political parties. Please distribute freely, but credit the author.
Labour Party
p2
Green Party
p4
Liberal Democrats
p6
Conservative Party
p8
Plaid Cymru
p10
Scottish National Party
p11
1
The Labour Party | “Substantial majority” Net-Zero by 2030 “This election is about the crisis of living standards and the climate and environmental emergency. Whether we are ready or not, we stand on the brink of unstoppable change. We will show the world how prioritising sustainability will not only deliver immediate improvements to everyone’s lives but also offer humanity a pathway to a more equitable and enlightened economy” Finance • • • • • •
£400bn National Transformation Fund £250bn lending for enterprise, infrastructure and innovation over 10 years Ensure the UK’s financial sector is helping to tackle the emergency rather than fuelling it Create a Sustainable Investment Board, and incorporate climate and environmental impacts into its forecasts Delist any company that fails to contribute to tackling the climate and environmental emergency from the London Stock Exchange 3% of GDP to be spent on research and development by 2030
Energy • • • • •
90% of electricity and 50% of heat from renewable and low-carbon sources by 2030 Invest in district heat networks using waste heat, invest in energy storage and interconnectors Windfall tax on oil companies, but safeguard the people, jobs and skills that depend on the offshore oil and gas industry Bring energy and water systems into public ownership, democratically operated at community level Permanently ban fracking
Transport • • • • •
Take public ownership of bus networks; free bus travel for under-25s, reinstating the 3,000 routes that have been cut Renationalise and expand railways and create a more affordable and integrated system with simpler fares – fully electrify rail Create towns and cities in which walking and cycling are the best choice: safe, accessible, healthy, efficient, economical and pollution-free End sales of combustion vehicles by 2030, supported by investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and in electric community car clubs Introduce a new Clean Air Act, with a vehicle scrappage scheme and clean air zones, complying with World Health Organisation limits for fine particles and nitrous oxides
Homes • • •
Upgrade almost all homes to the highest energy-efficiency standards by 2030 Introduce a zero-carbon standard for all new homes Roll out technologies like heat pumps, solar hot water and hydrogen
Land and Farming • • • •
Climate and Environment Emergency Bill to set out binding standards for decarbonisation, nature recovery, environmental quality and habitats and species protection Ambitious programme of tree planting, with both forestry and native woodland species Create new National Parks alongside a revised system of other protected areas Repurpose agricultural funds to support sustainable methods of food production 2
• • •
Ensure everyone has access to healthy, nutritious, sustainably produced food Net-zero food production in Britain by 2040 £5.6bn for flood defences
Waste and Recycling • • •
Make producers responsible for full cost of recycling or disposal, encouraging more sustainable design and manufacturing Invest in plastic remanufacturing industry, four metal reprocessing plants and bottle-return schemes End exports of plastic waste and reduce our contribution to ocean pollution
Education •
Pupils will learn both the science of climate and environmental emergency, and the skills necessary to deal with them
Other • • • •
Ban the importation of hunting trophies of threatened species Assess the emissions the UK imports as well as those it produces Take on the powerful private interests that are causing climate change Create one million climate jobs in the UK
3
Green Party | Net-Zero by 2030 “The climate and environmental emergency rages from the Amazon to the Arctic. The science is clear – the next ten years are probably the most important in our history. At this time of crisis, we cannot go on as we are. We want to unleash a revolution that lifts up everyone. Our plan for a Green New Deal, and four related programmes of reform, will transform the UK and improve the quality of everyone’s lives by creating a safer, fairer future for all.” Finance • •
£100bn per year for a Green New Deal, with an additional investment in Universal Basic Income Create a network of regional mutual banks to provide funding for start-up companies (particularly cooperatives, community interest companies and other non-profit businesses) developing technologies which contribute to decarbonising our economy
Energy • • • • • • • • •
Enable communities to develop their own renewable energy projects Wind to provide around 70% of the UK’s electricity by 2030 Support for solar, geothermal, tidal, hydro and other renewable energies to provide much of the remainder of the UK’s energy supply by 2030 Remove subsidies to the oil and gas industries Apply a Carbon Tax on all fossil fuels, raised progressively over the decade Expand our short-term capacity for energy storage Prohibit the construction of nuclear power stations Encourage greater energy efficiency across the economy, including by providing energy efficiency training for businesses and public bodies Ban fracking, and other unconventional forms of fossil fuel extraction
Transport • • • • • • • • • • •
£2.5 billion a year on new cycleways and footpaths Making travelling by public transport cheaper than travelling by car Cancel HS2, instead create a new golden age of train by increasing capacity, improving journey times and frequencies Electrifying all railway lines that connect cities Bring all railways back into public ownership over ten years, to be run by local councils Lobby against the international rules that prevent aviation fuel taxation Introduce a Frequent Flyer Levy to reduce the impact of the 15% of people who take 70% of flights End the sale of new petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles by 2030 Create a network of electric vehicle charging points across the country, delivered by the private sector Incentivise changes to travelling behaviour by promoting more stay at home working Prepare for the rapid decommissioning of North Sea oil rigs and the phasing out of the UK’s remaining coal mines
Housing • • •
Empower local authorities to bring empty homes back into use and create a total of 100,000 new council homes a year, built to the Passivhaus or equivalent standard. This standard will see these new homes use 90% less energy for space heating than the average home Ensure all new developments will be located and designed to ensure that residents do not need cars to live a full life Improve the insulation of every UK home by 2030 4
• • • • •
Improving 1 million existing homes and other buildings a year, so that they reach the highest standard of energy efficiency 10 million homes to generate their own renewable energy from solar by 2030 Replace boilers with heat pumps, solar thermal, geothermal, biomass and stored heat technologies Deploy district heat networks Ensure all new buildings are built to the Passivhaus standard
Land and Farming • • • • • •
Help farmers transition to more sustainable, diverse and environmentally friendly forms of land use, including organic farming, agroforestry and mixed farming Reduce pesticide and fungicide use by at least 50% by 2022 Plant 700 million new trees with 50% of all farms to be engaged in agroforestry by 2030 Ban all genetically modified (GM) foods Support the transition to plant-based diets by phasing in a tax on meat and dairy products over the next ten years Introduce product labelling to indicate carbon emissions and production methods
Waste and Recycling • • •
Require manufacturers to offer ten-year warranties on white goods, to encourage repair and reuse Ban the production of single-use plastic packaging and invest in research and development into alternatives Extend the plastic bag tax to cover plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics, and extend plastic bottle deposit schemes
Education •
Launch a public information campaign to educate the public about the biodiversity loss and other Climate Emergency threats we face
Other •
Wide-scale support for the UK-based manufacturing of renewable energy infrastructure
5
Liberal Democrats | Net-Zero by 2045 at the latest “The UK should be leading the world in tackling the climate emergency. We are the first generation to know we are destroying the environment, and the last generation with a chance to do something about it before it is too late. There is no Planet B. If we fail to act, millions of people – at home and abroad – will suffer the impacts of floods, storms and heatwaves, rising food prices and the spread of diseases; the global financial system will be destabilised, poor countries could collapse and the number of refugees will soar.” Finance • • • •
£5bn for a Green Investment Bank, using public money to attract private investment for zero-carbon priorities Require all companies registered in the UK and listed on UK stock exchanges to set targets consistent with the Paris Agreement Regulate financial services to encourage green investments Spend 5% of GDP on climate and environmental objectives by 2024
Transport • • • • • • •
Convert the rail network to ultra-low-emission technology by 2035, including HS2 and Crossrail 2 Ensure all new cars are electric by 2030 £2bn to extend Ultra-Low Emission Zones to ten more towns and cities in England Reform the taxation of international flights to focus on those who fly the most Oppose expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted and any new airport in the Thames Estuary £4.5bn over 5 years to restore and expand bus routes Encourage the development of car-sharing schemes and car clubs and autonomous vehicles
Energy • • • • • • • • •
£12bn over five years for clean energy At least 80 per cent of UK electricity to be generated by renewables by 2030 Ban fracking for good Protect nature and the countryside, tackle biodiversity loss and plant 60 million trees a year End fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 At least 80 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 Require all new homes to be fitted with solar panels Support investment and innovation in cutting-edge energy technologies, including tidal and wave power, energy storage, demand response, smart grids and hydrogen Support carbon capture and storage
Homes • • •
An emergency programme to insulate Britain’s homes by 2030 Require all new homes and non-domestic buildings to be built to a zero-carbon standard Adopt a Zero-Carbon Heat Strategy, including reforming the Renewable Heat Incentive, requiring the phased installation of heat pumps in homes and businesses off the gas grid
Land and Farming • • • •
£18bn over 5 years to fund a Nature Act which will set legally binding targets for improving water, air, soil and biodiversity Plant 60 million trees a year Invest in restoration of peatlands, heathland, native woodlands, saltmarshes, wetlands and coastal waters Protect up to a million acres, complete the coastal path, explore a ‘right to roam’ for waterways and create ‘National Nature Parks’ 6
• • •
Establish a ‘blue belt’ of marine protected areas covering at least 50 per cent of UK waters by 2030 £5bn fund for flood prevention and climate adaptation by 2024 Ensure that sustainability lies at the heart of fisheries policy
Waste and Recycling • • • • • •
Introduce a Zero-Waste and Resource Efficiency Act to ensure that the UK moves towards a circular economy Ban non-recyclable single-use plastics by 2022 End plastic waste exports by 2030 Better product design for repairability, reuse and recycling, including extending the forthcoming EU ‘right to repair’ legislation for consumer goods Extend deposit return schemes for all food and drink bottles and containers Establishing a statutory waste recycling target of 70 per cent in England
Other • • • • • •
Ban the importing of hunting trophies Establish a Department for Climate Change and Natural Resources, and Office of Environmental Protection that is fully independent Ensure the National Infrastructure Commission takes fully into account the climate and environmental implications of all national infrastructure decisions Establish UK and local Citizens’ Climate Assemblies to engage the public in tackling the climate emergency Provide aid to developing countries to help them transition to clean sources of energy Ensure all local authorities produce a Zero Carbon Strategy
7
Conservative Party | Net-Zero by 2050 “Conservation is, and always has been, at the heart of Conservatism. Our Government’s stewardship of the natural environment, its focus on protecting the countryside and reducing plastic waste, is a source of immense pride. But today, the climate emergency means that the challenges we face stretch far beyond our borders.” Finance • • •
Invest £0.5bn to help energy-intensive industries move to low-carbon techniques £0.64bn new Nature for Climate fund 2.4% of GDP to be spent on Research and Development
Energy • • • • • •
£0.8bn to build and deploy a carbon capture scheme by the mid-2020s £0.5bn to help energy-intensive industries move to low-carbon techniques Support gas for hydrogen production and nuclear energy, including fusion Won’t support fracking unless the science shows categorically that it can be done safely The North Sea oil and gas industry has a long future ahead and has a key role to play as we move to a Net Zero economy £1bn fund to develop affordable and accessible clean energy
Transport • • • • • • • •
Invest in rail and create a simpler, more effective rail system with smart ticketing Invest in electric buses with lower fares and protect rural routes. Upgrade city bus, tram and train services to make them as good as London’s £28.8bn investment in strategic and local roads Invest £1bn in completing a fast-charging network to ensure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid electric vehicle charging station Phase out the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars following consultation £0.35bn Cycling Infrastructure Fund Won’t interfere in Heathrow expansion
Homes • •
Support the creation of homes that have low energy bills and expect all new streets to be lined with trees £9.2bn for energy efficiency of homes, schools and hospitals
Land and Farming • • • • •
Farmers must protect and enhance our natural environment, in return for funding Encourage the public sector to ‘Buy British’ to support our farmers and reduce environmental costs 75,000 acres of trees a year by the end of the next Parliament Create new National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Protect and enhance the Green Belt, improve poor quality land and increase biodiversity
Waste and Recycling • • • • •
Increase the proportion of recyclable plastics in packaging Extended producer responsibility and support a bottle deposit return scheme Increase penalties for fly-tipping £0.5bn Blue Planet Fund to help protect our oceans from plastic pollution, warming sea temperatures and overfishing Legal commitment to fish sustainably 8
Other • • • •
Ban imports of trophy hunting of endangered animals and ivory £4bn in new funding for flood defences Environment Bill and independent Office for Environmental Protection will guarantee that we protect and restore our natural environment after leaving the EU Work with the market to deliver two million new jobs in clean growth
9
Plaid Cymru | “Substantial majority” Net-Zero no later than 2050 “Our environment is being eroded whilst our natural resources are being used for the benefit of others. Our energy bills are needlessly high despite us being an exporter of electricity and our housing stock is outdated and inefficient. If we carry on with business as usual, none of this will change.” Finance •
£7.5 billion investment programme to fund vital infrastructure projects throughout Wales
Energy • • • •
Increase energy generation from renewables including delivering tidal lagoons in Swansea Bay, Cardiff and Colwyn Bay Establish a national electric vehicle charging network Transfer responsibility over Welsh energy generation and natural resources to the National Assembly Create a Welsh energy company, shifting to decentralised and distributed networks
Transport •
Wales-wide transport system, including buses, trains, road upgrades and integrated with walking and cycling
Homes •
Roll out a nationwide scheme to make our housing stock more energy efficient
Land and Farming •
Oppose the construction and use of pylons through National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, advocating underground or undersea cabling where possible
Waste and Recycling •
Reduce plastic waste with a deposit return scheme
Education Other • • • • •
Update and consolidate Welsh wildlife legislation, creating a new Wildlife Act for Wales Call for the creation of an Animal Abuse Register for Wales New Climate Change Act, adopting ambitious but achievable greenhouse gas and pollution reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 Put in place a comprehensive plan to ensure the future of the steel industry Build upon the standards set by the EU which have protected our environment
10
Scottish National Party | Net-Zero by 2045 “We have a moral responsibility to tackle climate change and will lead the way in showing how our society can transition to net zero while creating economic opportunity and providing the assurance of rewarding work for all. We have a huge opportunity to lead the world in building the new economy of the future, creating sustainable technologies and jobs that can secure our prosperity.” Finance • • • • •
Put the transition to net-zero at the heart of the Scottish National Investment Bank Unlock additional resource for emissions-reducing investment through a Green Growth Accelerator (public and private funding) Substantial reforms to the UK tax system to support greener choices, including heating and energy efficiency, and vehicles £3bn portfolio of projects, including renewables, waste and construction Oil and gas revenues will be worth £8.5bn up until 2023-24. Revenue will be ringfenced to invest in areas such as renewable energy, electric vehicles and carbon capture utilisation and storage
Energy • • • • • • •
Green Energy Deal to ensure renewable energy schemes get long-term certainty Accelerated deployment of fully operational carbon capture utilisation and storage facilities 12% of the oil and gas fund – at least £1bn over 5 years – will go to diversifying industry in fossil-fuel reliant towns Properly support the renewables industry Opposing new nuclear power plants Deliver a wave and tidal energy industrial strategy with adequate funding No support for unconventional oil and gas – such as ‘fracking’
Transport • • • • • • • • •
Target no sales of combustion vehicles by 2032 Bring Scottish railways into full public ownership £500m to improve bus priority infrastructure Zero emissions from railways by 2035 £17m to help people with the cost of ultra-low emission vehicles Support a diesel scrappage scheme if trading in ultra-low emission vehicles Reduce domestic flights by improving Edinburgh-London rail times Reduced VAT on bicycles Trials of low or zero emission flights, including electric planes, starting in 2021
Homes • • •
Tax incentives to make the switch to low-carbon heating systems more affordable Reduction in VAT on energy efficiency improvements in homes From 2024, all new homes must use renewable or low carbon heat
Land and Farming •
Target of 60 million trees planted annually in the UK by 2025
Waste and Recycling Education 11
•
Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan for the people of Scotland
Other • • •
75% reduction in emissions by 2030, net zero carbon emissions no later than 2040 and net zero of all emissions by 2045 Remain aligned with EU environmental regulations even if Brexit takes place Aviation emissions should be counted within national emissions and targets
12