The Labour party environmental record after one year running the British government shows “glimmers of hope”, but concerns remain over nature and anti-protest policies, green groups said.
Greenpeace UK and Friends of the Earth together assessed the party’s progress on tackling the climate and nature crises ahead of Thursday, which marks one year since the general election. The two groups said the government’s overall environmental record is a “mixed picture”.
Assessing key policy areas, they rated the government highest for its progress on climate and energy because of Ed Miliband’s efforts as energy secretary to reposition the UK as a global climate leader and oversee the UK’s transition towards clean energy.
Bee-harming
But the campaigners also criticised decisions to invest billions into nuclear power, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and roads, instead of funnelling more money towards carbon-cutting measures.
In terms of homes and transport, the groups welcomed investment in buses and railways, promotion of cleaner modes of transport and the requirement for landlords to raise energy efficiency standards.
However, they criticised Labour’s support for airport expansion and said more money is needed to decarbonise these sectors if the UK is to meet its climate targets.
The government fared worse on nature and the environment in the organisations’ assessment.
While moving to ban bee-harming pesticides, launching reforms of the polluting water sector and banning bottom-trawling in some protected areas, the campaigners said planning reforms that sideline nature in pursuit of growth have been particularly alarming.
Wildlife
There has also been little progress on adopting laws to ensure UK companies do not contribute to illegal deforestation globally, nor the ratification of a UN treaty to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030, they added.
The government saw the worst rating, however, in the policy areas of justice and democracy, with the groups claiming there has been an increase in arrests and imprisonment of non-violent protesters.
The campaigners also called for the introduction of taxes on the largest polluters through measures such as a stronger windfall tax on oil and gas profits, a frequent flyer levy and wealth taxes.
Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “There’s no denying Labour has made some good progress on its clean energy mission, and it’s extremely encouraging the government remains committed to delivering on climate targets despite the breakdown in the political consensus.
“But where there have been some positive wins for nature, they’ve been overshadowed by false claims that protecting wildlife and vital habitats is hindering development.
Economy
“What has been most worrying is this government’s attitude to protest, which has seen it continue the last government’s legacy of cracking down on dissent and encroaching on the right of us all to stand up for what we believe.”
Reshima Sharma, deputy head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “This government’s record is like a dance pattern with impressive forward strides and sudden backwards steps.
“A year in, this administration certainly deserves much credit for holding the course on climate action and fully backing is a blot on their climate record.
“Tough action on polluting water companies, bee-harming pesticides and destructive fishing are all welcome moves, but the obsession with putting growth above everything else risks undoing some of the good work on nature protection.”
The groups said improvement is needed across all four policy areas, arguing that action to protect the environment will actively benefit people’s lives through cheaper energy bills, cleaner air, thousands of new jobs and a stronger economy.
This Author
Rebecca Speare-Cole is the PA sustainability reporter.