Election Special: Other Environmental Policies

In the third part of our election special, we examine the various other green and environmental policies of Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.

Recycling
Labour are quick to point out that after their introduction of household recycling services, recycling rates rose from 9% in 1997 to 38% in 2008, and they emphasise efficient household collection and sorting, and schemes that encourage local authorities and business to treat waste packaging as a resource. The Conservatives posit that incentives, rather than penalties, should be used to encourage recycling, and would allow local councils to decide what collection system works best for them. Currently the focus of recycling is on municipal waste, but the Conservatives say that a large proportion of commercial and industrial waste is similar to municipal waste and could therefore be recycled or used for energy recovery in the same way. The Lib Dems want to work with the EU to “seek stronger standards for manufacturers to reduce excessive packaging” and would free up local councils to innovate ways of encouraging and enforcing recycling, making it a statutory duty for them to “develop resource recovery plans for all types of waste.” The Green Party state that “the principle of ‘dilute and disperse’ will no longer be generally acceptable” and they would “adopt a Zero Waste strategy” and ensure that “all households get comprehensive weekly doorstep recycling and compost collections,” as well as requiring district councils to recover and recycle “at least 60% of recyclable domestic waste within 5 years.”

Marine and Coastal Access
Labour introduced the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Under the Act a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) was established on 1 April 2010 to deliver, regulate and oversee marine activities. The Conservatives have criticized this as a rebranding of the Marine and Fisheries Agency with the same personnel and without civil service status. They say a widespread network of highly protected marine reserves throughout all UK seas is necessary, and that they would “fight for wholesale reform of the Common Fisheries Policy to encourage sustainable practices.” The Liberal Democrats want a zoned marine planning system which would protect endangered marine wildlife and would also seek further reform of the Common Fisheries Policy as a priority (they also seek to create a ‘Green National Grid’ to protect and link up the habitats of rare species on land). The Greens go even further, saying that they would “work to release Britain from the Common Fisheries Policy” and would require licenses for all commercial fishing, attempting to phase out industrial fishing and designating Marine Protected Areas to allow for regeneration and recovery of fish stock. 

Flood Management
Following on from the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the Flood Management Act 2010, Labour have promised to increase spenditure on flood defences and complete flood hazard and flood risk maps by the end of 2013, with consequent flood risk management plans due at the end of 2015. The Conservatives point out that since 1997, 120,000 new homes have been built in high flood risk areas, but they have not provided details on how they would address the issue. The Liberal Democrats Would “stop major new housing developments in major flood risk areas” and “reduce flood risk by properly utilizing the natural capacity of the landscape to retain water,” as well as introducing smart water metering and providing grants for rainwater harvesting systems, water butts and dual-flush toilets. With regards to water-related policy, the Green Party “is opposed to the private ownership of water” and “believe that the water service should be run with the direct participation of the communities concerned.”

Supporting low carbon industry
All the parties have various other environmental policies, which for Labour include the ‘green’ investment bank fund for low-carbon industries unveiled in the March 2010 Budget – this was also supported by the Conservatives. Labour also aim to spend £1.5bn on climate assistance to developing countries by 2012, and are in the process of insulating 6 million homes in the UK in the same time frame – as well as promising to deliver a ‘green upgrade’ to a quarter of British homes and universal smart metering by 2020. The Conservatives for their part promise to launch a national tree planting campaign, and to “create a ‘Green Deal’, giving every home up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures – paid for out of the savings made on fuel bills.” The Lib Dems propose to “place a legal duty on ministers to make Britain carbon-neutral by 2050,” and to take “tough action against those who commit environmental crimes,” as well as lobbying for new EU legislation that would make importation and possession of illegally-produced timber illegal. The Green Party also takes up this issue, and would call “for an emergency international agreement to stop global deforestation,” amongst a range of other environmental policies.

Read our previous Election Specials:

Election Special: Energy Policies
Election Special: Transport Policies