General Election 2019 party manifestos| environmental policies at a glance

Ahead of the General Election on 12 December, the main parties have now published their manifestos, setting out their environmental policy stances should they take the reins at number 10.

Delivery of a ten-year emergency programme to cut greenhouse gas emissions and phase out emissions from the remaining hard-to-treat sectors by 2045.
Set a new legally binding target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045.
Establish a Department for Climate Change and Natural Resources.
Guarantee an Office for Environmental Protection that is “fully independent” of government. and possess powers and resources to enforce compliance with climate and environmental targets.
Introduction of a Zero Waste and Resource Efficiency Act to ensure that the UK moves towards a circular economy. This will include:

banning non-recyclable single-use plastics within three years
an “ambition” to end plastic waste exports by 2030.
extending the forthcoming EU “right to repair” legislation for consumer goods.
introducing legally binding targets for reducing the consumption of key natural resources.
extending deposit return schemes for all food and drink bottles and containers.
establishing a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in England; extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2024; “strengthen incentives” to reduce packaging and reduce waste sent to landfill and incineration.

Create one million UK jobs to “transform industry, energy, transport, agriculture and building while restoring nature”.
A “Green New Deal” to achieve the “substantial majority” of emissions reductions by 2030
Delist from the Stock Exchange Change any company that fails to contribute to tackling the climate and environmental emergency.
A £250 billion “Green Transformation Fund” dedicated to renewable and low-carbon energy and transport, biodiversity and environmental restoration.
Introduction of a Climate and Environment Emergency Bill setting out in law robust, binding new standards for decarbonisation, nature recovery, environmental quality and habitats and species protection.
Bring services – from bin collections to management of local leisure centre – back in-house within the next Parliament.
On waste and recycling:

Make producers responsible for the waste they create and for the full cost of recycling or disposal.
Learn from Wales’ recycling example, and “back bottle-return schemes”.
Build three new steel recycling plants and upgrade existing production sites.
Invest in three new gigafactories and four metal reprocessing plants.
Invest in a new plastics remanufacturing industry and end exports of plastic waste.

Move forward with the Environment Bill that will “guarantee” to protect and restore the natural environment after leaving the EU.
Establish a new independent Office for Environmental Protection and introduce legal targets, including for air quality.
Introduce a £640 million new Nature for Climate fund.
Introduce a new levy to increase the proportion of recyclable plastics in packaging.
introduce extended producer responsibility, so that producers pay the full costs of dealing with the waste they produce, and boost domestic recycling.
ban the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries, consulting with industry, NGOs and local councils on the date by which this should be achieved.
increase penalties for fly-tipping, make those on community sentences clean up their parks and streets.
introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass.
Deliver on the “world-leading” target of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
establish a new £500 million Blue Planet Fund to help protect our oceans from plastic pollution, warming sea temperatures and overfishing, and extend the Blue Belt programme to preserve the maritime environment.
The first Budget will “prioritise the environment”:

invest in R&D; decarbonisation schemes; new flood defences, which will receive £4 billion in new funding over the coming years; electric vehicle infrastructure, including a national plug-in network and gigafactory; and clean energy.

Press for the introduction of an Ofgem database of people who have not switched suppliers alongside a national free switching service to help them do so.
Demand the UK accelerates its action to tackle climate change and introduce tougher targets.
Call for a reduction in VAT on energy efficiency improvements in homes
Work towards a target of planting 60m trees annually in the UK by 2025, with 30m of these in Scotland.
Ensuring that, from 2024, all new homes must use renewable or low carbon heat.

Invest in the Environment: in addition to planting millions of trees to capture CO2, it says it will “promote a global initiative at the UN”.
“Recycle our own waste” and make it illegal for it to be exported across the world to be burnt, buried or dumped at sea.

Become 100% self-sufficient in renewable energy by 2030.
create tens of thousands of “highly skilled green collar jobs”.
secure “robust, independent governance” and accountability processes to uphold the law and stand up for the environment.
establishment of a new Ministry for the Future. As well as surveying the broad policy environment, the Minister will be tasked with taking a long-term view of the environment.
Develop a package of environmental and fiscal reforms to aid the transition to a greener economy.
Plaid Cymru will commission a national inventory of green energy potential in Wales.
tackle the issue of plastic waste by banning single-use plastics, developing sustainable alternatives and increasing recycling targets.
place Wales at the forefront of the circular economy and ensure a Zero Waste Wales by 2030 through a combination of legislation and policy initiatives, such as Deposit Return Schemes, extended producer responsibility and use of planning laws, levies and tax-making powers.

Increase financial support for farmers
Ensure agriculture is afforded protection in post-Brexit trade deals
A new fisheries bill for the UK to take back control of our territorial waters
Meet the net zero carbon neutral target for Northern Ireland by 2050
Ban all new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035
encourage tree-planting and make agro-forestry a “realistic and viable option for farmers and landowners with the necessary re-skilling programmes to enable them to re-focus their land use”.

Ahead of the General Election on 12 December, the main parties have now published their manifestos, setting out their environmental policy stances should they take the reins at number 10.

Delivery of a ten-year emergency programme to cut greenhouse gas emissions and phase out emissions from the remaining hard-to-treat sectors by 2045.

Set a new legally binding target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045.

Establish a Department for Climate Change and Natural Resources.

Guarantee an Office for Environmental Protection that is “fully independent” of government. and possess powers and resources to enforce compliance with climate and environmental targets.

Introduction of a Zero Waste and Resource Efficiency Act to ensure that the UK moves towards a circular economy. This will include:

banning non-recyclable single-use plastics within three years

an “ambition” to end plastic waste exports by 2030.

extending the forthcoming EU “right to repair” legislation for consumer goods.

introducing legally binding targets for reducing the consumption of key natural resources.

extending deposit return schemes for all food and drink bottles and containers.

establishing a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in England; extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2024; “strengthen incentives” to reduce packaging and reduce waste sent to landfill and incineration.

Create one million UK jobs to “transform industry, energy, transport, agriculture and building while restoring nature”.

A “Green New Deal” to achieve the “substantial majority” of emissions reductions by 2030

Delist from the Stock Exchange Change any company that fails to contribute to tackling the climate and environmental emergency.

A £250 billion “Green Transformation Fund” dedicated to renewable and low-carbon energy and transport, biodiversity and environmental restoration.

Introduction of a Climate and Environment Emergency Bill setting out in law robust, binding new standards for decarbonisation, nature recovery, environmental quality and habitats and species protection.

Bring services – from bin collections to management of local leisure centre – back in-house within the next Parliament.

On waste and recycling:

Make producers responsible for the waste they create and for the full cost of recycling or disposal.

Learn from Wales’ recycling example, and “back bottle-return schemes”.

Build three new steel recycling plants and upgrade existing production sites.

Invest in three new gigafactories and four metal reprocessing plants.

Invest in a new plastics remanufacturing industry and end exports of plastic waste.

Move forward with the Environment Bill that will “guarantee” to protect and restore the natural environment after leaving the EU.

Establish a new independent Office for Environmental Protection and introduce legal targets, including for air quality.

Introduce a £640 million new Nature for Climate fund.

Introduce a new levy to increase the proportion of recyclable plastics in packaging.

introduce extended producer responsibility, so that producers pay the full costs of dealing with the waste they produce, and boost domestic recycling.

ban the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries, consulting with industry, NGOs and local councils on the date by which this should be achieved.

increase penalties for fly-tipping, make those on community sentences clean up their parks and streets.

introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass.

Deliver on the “world-leading” target of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

establish a new £500 million Blue Planet Fund to help protect our oceans from plastic pollution, warming sea temperatures and overfishing, and extend the Blue Belt programme to preserve the maritime environment.

The first Budget will “prioritise the environment”:

invest in R&D; decarbonisation schemes; new flood defences, which will receive £4 billion in new funding over the coming years; electric vehicle infrastructure, including a national plug-in network and gigafactory; and clean energy.

Press for the introduction of an Ofgem database of people who have not switched suppliers alongside a national free switching service to help them do so.

Demand the UK accelerates its action to tackle climate change and introduce tougher targets.

Call for a reduction in VAT on energy efficiency improvements in homes

Work towards a target of planting 60m trees annually in the UK by 2025, with 30m of these in Scotland.

Ensuring that, from 2024, all new homes must use renewable or low carbon heat.

Invest in the Environment: in addition to planting millions of trees to capture CO2, it says it will “promote a global initiative at the UN”.

“Recycle our own waste” and make it illegal for it to be exported across the world to be burnt, buried or dumped at sea.

Become 100% self-sufficient in renewable energy by 2030.

create tens of thousands of “highly skilled green collar jobs”.

secure “robust, independent governance” and accountability processes to uphold the law and stand up for the environment.

establishment of a new Ministry for the Future. As well as surveying the broad policy environment, the Minister will be tasked with taking a long-term view of the environment.

Develop a package of environmental and fiscal reforms to aid the transition to a greener economy.

Plaid Cymru will commission a national inventory of green energy potential in Wales.

tackle the issue of plastic waste by banning single-use plastics, developing sustainable alternatives and increasing recycling targets.

place Wales at the forefront of the circular economy and ensure a Zero Waste Wales by 2030 through a combination of legislation and policy initiatives, such as Deposit Return Schemes, extended producer responsibility and use of planning laws, levies and tax-making powers.

Increase financial support for farmers

Ensure agriculture is afforded protection in post-Brexit trade deals

A new fisheries bill for the UK to take back control of our territorial waters

Meet the net zero carbon neutral target for Northern Ireland by 2050

Ban all new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035

encourage tree-planting and make agro-forestry a “realistic and viable option for farmers and landowners with the necessary re-skilling programmes to enable them to re-focus their land use”.

CIWM members can read an in-depth review of party manifestos here.

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