Tackle climate change. 

Catastrophic climate change is the major environmental threat to the planet. Urgent action is needed. Liberal Democrat plans will make sure that Britain achieves its targets from the Kyoto Protocol (the international agreement on the pollution that causes climate change) well before the deadline. Britain and the EU must take the lead on negotiations for the next set of targets for greenhouse gas emissions. It is vital that we include the US and Australia but we also need to work with developing countries. Our long-term goal is ‘contraction and convergence’ – which means agreeing for every country a sustainable population-related allowance for emissions.

Cleaner transport and environment.

 Pollution and congestion have a major impact on people’s health and quality of life, as well as on climate change. Many of the solutions to these problems involve transport and this document includes plans to promote public transport, especially the railways. However, pollution can also be cut by reducing domestic waste and promoting recycling. Pioneering Liberal Democrat controlled local authorities are leading the way in cutting unnecessary waste and we will expand these practices nationally.

Cleaner power. 

Energy use is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions and hazardous waste. We will introduce measures to reduce energy use overall — for example through better home insulation which will also tackle the ‘fuel poverty’ faced in particular by pensioners. We will make sure that at least 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity derives from a range of renewable sources by the year 2020. Finally, given their long-term problems of cost, pollution and safety, we will not replace existing nuclear power stations as they reach the end of their safe and economic operating lives. We will use renewables and save energy instead.

Link to full Manifesto