Kennedy doubts Cameron conversion to green agenda

5.18.39pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Dec 2005

In a keynote speech on climate change to an audience of Liberal Democrat members, NGOs and environmental publications, Charles Kennedy highlighted the difference between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives on the issue of the environment following David Cameron's assertion that the parties now agree.

"The reality is the Liberal Democrats diverge radically from the Conservatives on environmental policy. The Conservatives wish to scrap the climate change levy but have offered no viable alternative. They are pro-Nuclear. The new Leader, David Cameron, used his acceptance speech to call for a major new road building programme. This suggests that Cameron remains wedded to the old-fashioned thinking that ignores the root of the problem.

"They have now instituted an 18 month environment policy review. The Conservatives are the jonny-come-latelys to the green agenda. If the Tories are to make good on the green agenda they will have to shift radically - 180 degrees in some cases - because they are simply not credible on the environment.

"Take David Cameron's speech on Friday. He made claims on the environment but carefully avoided any specifics. At the moment, without any substance to speak of, Cameron is merely relying on the spin that has blackened Tony Blair's reputation.

"And let no-one be in any doubt - the Liberal Democrats are not about to cede our emphatic, sincere and longstanding green credentials for some spray on aerosol version."

Mr Kennedy pointed out that divergent attitudes on the topic of nuclear power illustrate the difference between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

"Nuclear power has proven itself to be grossly expensive, environmentally disastrous and an unacceptable drain on the public purse. British taxpayers are currently facing a £56bn bill just to clear up the nuclear waste we already have - equivalent to bill of over £800 for every person in the UK."

Mr Kennedy pointed out it will be the public who pay for this: "If private industry can't pay and Gordon Brown won't pay, it is likely we'll end up with a new nuclear tax on our fuel bills."

Mr Kennedy also launched the concept of 'Green cities and Green Communities,' citing Lib-Dem held Newcastle city council as an example. The city has set up the CarbonNeutral Newcastle project:

"This partnership between local government, local people and local businesses is already reducing the city's climate change impact delivering over 15,000 tonnes of additional C02 reductions per annum.

"Fighting climate change does not mean abandoning economic development. Green Cities is about business working with the authorities. It means finding sustainable forms of development and investment, where the economy, society and the environment are balanced."

Mr Kennedy also criticised the Climate Change record of the Labour government.

"It is now clear Labour is way off course in meeting its own targets for a 20% cut in CO2 emissions by 2010. It is no longer certain that we will even hit our Kyoto targets.

"The difficult decisions over emissions reductions, traffic growth, aviation, renewable power and a whole host of other environmental issues require sustained effort over decades. And Tony Blair has no wish to be held accountable in the way that year on year targets would provide."

Mr Kennedy praised the government's's attempts to bring China and India into the negotiations about reducing CO2 emissions, but criticised Tony Blair's appeasement of President Bush on the issue:

"The fact is that until the United States, as the world's biggest polluter, engages meaningfully in an agreement to reduce their emissions, progress will be limited. The Prime Minister's negotiating strategy with the US President has been to placate in the hope of bringing him on board the climate change consensus.

"The international politics of tackling climate change cannot be based on moving backwards in an attempt to satisfy the Bush administration. It should be based on moving forward."

Overall carbon emission levels in the UK have risen by 3% between 1997-2004 and there is no indication that they are slowing down.

Emissions from power stations have gone up 9% under Labour. Renewable energy accounts for 20% in Italy - in the UK it is 4%.