The Liberal Democrats would introduce five green laws in the next parliament, focusing on transport, carbon, nature, buildings and waste, according to the party's manifesto.
The proposals, launched yesterday, are largely a repeat of pledges made by the party ahead of the 2015 general election. However, the new legislation would now also incorporate existing EU environmental protections and maintain standards for efficient equipment, it said.
The party wants ‘the closest possible co-operation on climate and energy policy’ with the EU, and warns that the rise of isolationism and populism in the UK and US could ‘halt or even reverse’ the progress that has been made on climate change.
On air pollution and transport, the manifesto states that a Green Transport Act and Air Quality Plan would include a diesel scrappage scheme and a ban on the sale of diesel cars and small vans in the UK by 2025. Ultra-low emission zones would be extended to ten more towns and cities, while vehicle taxation would be reformed to encourage sales of electric and low-emission vehicles.
A Zero-Carbon Britain Act would bring forward the target to reduce the UK’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 80% by the middle of the century to 2040, with a new zero emissions target for 2050.
The Liberal Democrats would establish a British Housing and Infrastructure Development Bank to support investment into low-carbon and sustainable infrastructure. The party is targeting 60% of electricity to come from renewables by 2030, by restoring government support for solar PV and onshore wind and building more electricity interconnectors.
A Green Buildings Act would include targets on energy efficiency, ensuring every home in England achieved at least an energy performance rating of Band C by 2035. In the shorter term, at least four million homes should reach the standard by 2022, with priority given to fuel-poor households. The Liberal Democrats would restore the zero-carbon standard for new homes, which was abandoned by the Conservatives in 2015, and extend it to non-domestic buildings by 2022.
On the natural environment, the party would create a £2bn flood-prevention fund to reduce upstream flooding, improve defences and introduce high standards for flood resilience for buildings and infrastructure.
A Nature Act would put government advisers the Natural Capital Committee (NCC) on a statutory footing, set legally-binding targets on biodiversity, clean air and water, and empower the NCC to recommend measures to meet the targets.
Legislation would also protect up to one million acres of green space by classifying them as national nature parks; reform water management and strengthen water efficiency standards; establish protected marine areas; and suspend use of neonicotinoids.
The Liberal Democrats also pledged to ensure that future trade deals require high safety, environmental and animal welfare standards for food imports.
Finally, a Zero-Waste act would introduce legally binding targets for reducing consumption of natural resources and incentives for businesses to improve resource efficiency. It would seek to improve repairabilty, reuse and recycling through better product design; and set a statutory recycling target of 70% in England and extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2022. The landfill tax escalator would be reinstated and the party would consult on introducing a tax on incineration.
Finally, the Liberal Democrats would create a cabinet committee on sustainability to scrutinise the government’s efforts to meet environmental targets and place a responsibility on every agency to account for its contribution towards meeting climate objectives.
Dave Timms, campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: ‘These are welcome and ambitious measures to end the scandal of food waste and make efficient use of our natural resources.
‘The Liberal Democrats have made a strong commitment to the UK playing its role in dealing with climate change at home and internationally, but they need to provide more policy detail on how they intend to insulate the nation’s homes and clean up our energy system.’
