The 300-350 Show: Conservative Party Climate Policies
First Broadcast: 16 October 2008
Featuring:
- Zac Goldsmith
"Currently, Conservative policies on the environment are neither deep nor broad enough"
- assessment of the UK's environmental NGOs in "The Green Standard" report (Sept 2008)
We examine the Tories' climate change policies in an interview with Zac Goldsmith - former editor of The Ecologist magazine who was invited by David Cameron in 2006 to co-chair the party's Quality of Life policy review.
Here are some of the key climate-related policies that appear on the Conservative Party website:
- No third runway at Heathrow
- Constructing a high speed rail line between Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London starting in 2015 and completed by 2027
- Build new roads (yes, really)
- A "fair fuel stabiliser" tax so that when the price of petrol goes up, petrol tax goes down
- Feed-in Tariffs to encourage renewable energy and combined heat and power production by householders, businesses and public buildings etc.
- An emissions performance standard for new electricity plants that would rule out coal plants without carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- At least three CCS demonstration projects over the next 5-10 years
- A rise in the proportion of green taxes, with revenues used to reduce taxes on families
- Offer Green ISAs - tax-free savings for individuals which are invested in green projects
- Create a Green Environmental Market - a trading market for green technology companies
We ask Zac about:
The Tories favoured approach to the international deal
The loophole in the UK Cilmate Change Bill which allows government to buy its way out of reducing emissions at home
How the Tories would tackle demand - which the Tyndall Centre says is the most critical aspect of climate policy
Why current Tory policies would allow for an increase in aviation
How the proposed high speed rail line would be funded
Whether he is disappointed that so few of the Quality of Life Review's recommendations have been taken up
Whether the Tory's dislike of regulation and public investment makes them ill-equipped for tackling climate change
Apologies for failing to raise the critical issue of Agrofuels...
Conservative Party Policies
www.conservatives.com/Policy.aspx
Quality of Life Review
www.qualityoflifechallenge.com
Green Standard Report
www.thegreenstandard.org.uk
A Greener Shade of Blue? (how can Tory values be used to tackle climate change?)
www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p2.aspx?id=1786
George Osborne Speech to the Green Alliance (July 2008)
www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2008/07/George_Osborne_Speech_to_the_Green_Alliance.aspx
Available Audio
Conservative Party Climate Policies – Listen Online | Download .mp3 (25.35 MB)