Climate change has risen to the top of the UK’s political agenda in recent months. The Prime Minister talks about it, the leader of the Conservatives talks about it. But the role of our Party on this issue has always been to lead the way and we will continue to do so. Not only that, we’ll continue to press for Britain to take global leadership on fighting climate change.
At our Conference we will be debating our new policy paper ‘Zero Carbon Britain – Taking a Global Lead’. This paper encapsulates the vision, determination and political will of the Liberal Democrats to present policy that tackles climate change. No other party has presented anything so comprehensive or ambitious. Gordon Brown and David Cameron have reached a consensus in which green talk is encouraged, but green action is postponed. But we can do things differently.
We want to make Britain carbon neutral by the year 2050. There are four principles on which a carbon-neutral Britain will be built. First, we must raise the price of carbon. By raising green taxes and strengthening the EU Emissions Trading System, we can ensure that the financial cost of polluting behaviour will rise.
Second, we can boost green technologies. That means providing incentives for transitional technologies, encouraging business and consumers to adapt, and introducing tough vehicle emission regulations and investing in renewable energy.
Third, we can promote greener lifestyles by requiring new homes to meet robust green standards, by offering “green mortgages” to those that want to improve the standards of their current homes and by concentrating investment in key rail and light rail services.
Fourth, we can ensure that the United Kingdom adapts to the realities that climate change brings. Weather patterns have changed and we must be prepared to deal with the stark realities of extreme weather.
When it comes to fighting climate change Labour and the Conservatives have nothing to offer but bluster and obfuscation. In the midst of this, we continue to lead with innovative policy ideas.
* Ming Campbell is MP for Fife North East, and Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
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9 Comments
Sounds promising, but seeing as your paper is entitled ‘Taking a Global Lead’ maybe the Lib Dems should tell everyone what they are going to do about the pollution pouring out of India and China as they rapidly expand their economies?
The impact of making the UK more environmentally friendly will barely register on a global scale if more polluting nations don’t follow suit. That doesn’t mean your policies are useless, far from it, but if you are serious about climate change you have to get serious about the international nature of the issues.
How to change China? By providing leadership!
China ought to persuade itself to do something. Global warming has led to the melting of glaciers in the Himalayers that feed some of the great rivers of China. As the amount of melting water reduces and the rivers dwindle, millions of people will face famine in the future.
At some point China will have to confront the terrible ecological problems it faces. Then it will get ideas from the west.
It can’t happen quickly enough of course, but there is no other way.
Comments 1 and 2:
You do of course realise that China and so on are polluting because we are exporting out manufacturing there and not paying enough to bring clean technologies?
It is OUR pollution BY PROXY.
China is sadly copying our technologies – for example national power grids which are c 20% efficient – when these are not of the best any more.
Chris, can you elaborate on that 20% figure?
I don’t think China is going to persuade itself to behave better, seeing as they are hellbent on becoming the largest economy and largest military force on the planet (and probably won’t take that long to get there).
Lot’s of rhetoric not much that the Lib Dems will ever be able to implement. As they still control a few councils wouldn’t a more local focus be a better approach?
And it says a lot about a leader when he has to put ‘Ming Campbell is MP for Fife North East, and Leader of the Liberal Democrats’ at the end of a post.
Hey Ming, you’re my main man!
6 (Ralph) – And it says a lot about a leader when he has to put ‘Ming Campbell is MP for Fife North East, and Leader of the Liberal Democrats’ at the end of a post.
Ralph, it might astonish you to know that Ming didn’t actually type his piece into Lib Dem Voice. Through the wonders of editing I appended that one line – it’s something I do for all our Opinion writers, no matter how well known they are.
As for the “you’ll never be in government, so why does it matter” argument, it’s just boring. If Lib Dems matter that little why are you here reading and commenting on Ming’s piece?
Stephen,
I stand corrected on the title.
With the councils you control you can show the country that your policies work, while all this press release is is a lot of rhetoric you can’t implement. If you see that suggestion as an attack so be it.