Wera Outlines Liberal Democrat Climate Action Plan

24 September 2019

The UN says we have roughly 11 years to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Meanwhile, real wages have stagnated and global trade wars threaten our economies. Solving these global crises requires elected leaders to provide the right policy and funding for climate action, as well as to empower businesses and constituents to make urgent changes.

At the Liberal Democrats’ party conference in Bournemouth this month, Wera and her colleagues passed the most comprehensive and ambitious plans to get the UK to net-zero carbon by 2045. The policy includes a plan to tackle the UK’s biggest emitters - power generation, surface transport and buildings. Under this plan, climate policy will be at the heart of all government decisions, from defence to finance to transport, energy, and housing.

The action plan for the first 100 days of a Liberal Democrat government includes:

  • Setting targets to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 59 percent by 2025; 75 percent by 2030... and 93 percent by 2040

  • Stopping Brexit to prioritise the climate crisis with the UK’s European partners

  • Beginning to phase-out fossil fuels in the UK economy by immediately banning fracking and the opening of new coal mines and pits

In the first year, the Liberal Democrats would:

  • Dedicate funds for a Just Transition Commission to make sure the most-affected communities are not left behind

  • Legislate to make sure local authorities have a Zero-Carbon strategy; ban non-recyclable single-use plastics

  • Promote decentralised and community energy; encourage rapid adoption of electric vehicles; plan to convert the rail network to ultra-low-emission technology; invest in public transport

  • Impose a moratorium on airport expansion.

  • Establish the biggest national re-forestation programme - 60 million trees a year

Further on, the party would regulate financial services to encourage green investments; boost green skills training; introduce zero-carbon standards for all new buildings; develop smart grids and support research for carbon capture technology.

You can read the full Liberal Democrat Climate Action Plan here.