More than warm words needed to tackle climate change - Brooke

12.34.30pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 25th Apr 2006

As David Cameron returns from his visit to Norway to highlight the damage caused by climate change, the Liberal Democrats have exposed the Conservatives' shabby environmental record. Their weak policies and contradictory actions include:

§ Conservative MPs attempting to water down environmental legislation.

§ A Conservative MEP criticising her own party's environmental policy review.

§ Friends of the Earth criticising the Conservatives' voting record.

§ Tory MPs failing to sign EDMs on climate change.

§ David Cameron speaking in support of more road building.

§ A former Tory Energy Minister stating he believes the Tories will retain a pro-nuclear energy policy.

Commenting on the evidence, local MP Annette Brooke said:

"Warm words and pretty pictures are not enough to tackle global warming. The Tories have not come up with a single hard-edged proposal to deliver the CO2 emissions cuts that are needed. Until they do, they have zero credibility on green issues.

"David Cameron must state clearly that he is prepared to raise fuel duty in line with inflation, that he is prepared to restructure vehicle excise duty far more radically to discourage gas guzzlers, and that he will now vote in favour of raising the climate change levy in line with inflation.

"These are all tests which must be seen against the appalling track record of the Conservatives on environmental issues. Their voting record was assessed by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace as not just the worst of all the British political parties but the worst of any party in the entire European Union.

"Cameron himself has voted against the climate change levy, and has publicly backed more road-building. If his change of heart is real, it is welcome. But he cannot keep getting away with global posturing without being held to hard choices and action."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Below are several recent examples of the Conservatives failing to turn their words into actions:

1. On Monday 6th February, Tory Peers attempted to water down draft legislation which gave company directors a legal duty to consider their impacts on communities and the environment, as the Lords reached the first controversial part of the

Government's Company Law Reform Bill. Friends of the Earth attacked the move, which it said exposed a lingering prehistoric attitude to the environment within the Conservative Party. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/tory_lords_seek_to_water_d_06022006.html

2. Conservative MEP Caroline Jackson has attacked her own party's Quality of Life review group, headed by ex-Cabinet minister John Gummer, which is briefed to develop new ideas to fulfil David Cameron's promise of putting sustainability at the heart of Conservative policy. She said:

"I think from the point of view of the Conservative party pursuing the green line is all talk and no action at the moment. It's part of the current process in the Conservative party of giving green issues prominence and taking up some pretty strange positions on some things I think. When push comes to shove in the general election I suspect we will roll back from some of this." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4880450.stm

3. Liberal Democrats in Europe have the best record in the European Parliament relating to the environment. Tories have voted to weaken legislation. http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/safer_chemicals/chemical_reaction/action_page_2_en_UK.html

4. Two Early Day Motions on climate change in Parliament have been signed by ALL Liberal Democrat MPs, but less than half of Conservative MPs

EDM 391 CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY BILLS http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28602&SESSION=875

EDM 178 CLIMATE CHANGE http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28373&SESSION=875

5. David Cameron spoke to the Centre for Policy Studies on November 8th 2005 in favour of building more roads. He said:

"Britain now needs a concerted programme of road building, accompanied by the introduction of advanced traffic management methods, including new solutions for road charging based on usage and the time of day."

6. The Conservatives 2005 General Election Manifesto was criticised by both Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.

Tony Juniper, Director of Friends of the Earth, said:

"This manifesto gives the impression that the environment will not be safe in Conservative hands. It fails to say how a Tory Government would tackle climate change, the biggest threat the planet faces, and suggests that environmental protection will be towards the bottom of its priorities." (Friends of the Earth Press Release 11-4-05)

Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said:

"The people the Tories are planning to fire are the green equivalent of bobbies on the beat … The Conservatives claim to be the party of law and order, but when it comes to environmental crime they seem happy for the polluters and despoilers to go unpunished." (Independent 18/4/05)

However, both organisation were much more positive about the Liberal Democrats approach.

Simon Reddy, Policy and Solutions Director of Greenpeace UK, said

"When it comes to precipitating a public debate, only the Liberal Democrats of the main parties have been prepared to take climate change to the polls." (Independent 18/4/05)

A friends of the Earth Press Release (14/4/05), said:

"[The Lib Dems] have also gone further than the other main parties in advocating stronger action in key policy areas, such as transport and renewable energy."

7. Former Energy Minister, Lord Jenkin, today stated in the House of Lords that he believed the Tories intended to maintain a pro-nuclear power policy.