What are the main UK parties promising on climate and is it enough?
Jun 18, 2024
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Global environment editor Jon Watts and biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston discuss UK parties' climate pledges. They analyze the level of action needed, comparing manifestos and exploring parties' approaches. Scientists urge ambitious steps to combat the climate crisis and biodiversity threats. Voters' concerns clash with politicians' focus on other issues.
Main parties' manifestos lack specificity for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, while smaller parties propose bolder climate actions.
Conservative manifesto pledges to halt nature loss by 2030 but receives criticism for poor conservation delivery.
Deep dives
Climate Crisis Urgency and Political Response
Scientists emphasized five key steps for climate action in an open letter, urging net zero emissions by 2050 and international leadership in transitioning away from fossil fuels. Despite the severity of climate change and biodiversity loss, these issues have taken a back seat in the UK's election campaigns. With voters prioritizing immediate concerns like cost of living, there's a disconnect between public awareness and political action on urgent environmental challenges.
Party Policies on Climate and Nature
Conservative and Labour manifestos on climate vary, with Conservatives lacking specifics for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and promoting more car use and oil drilling. Labour presents a more ambitious green prosperity plan involving energy innovation and creating cleaner communities. Smaller parties like the Greens, Lib Dems, and SNP propose bolder climate actions, pushing for earlier net zero targets, nature conservation efforts, and innovative policies like legal rights for nature.
Nature Conservation in Politica Manifestos
Conservative manifesto pledges to halt nature loss by 2030 but faces criticism for poor delivery on conservation targets. Labour acknowledges nature crisis and vows to meet environmental obligations while proposing initiatives like new national forests. Green Party advocates for a radical Nature Act to grant legal personhood to nature, emphasizing a transformative shift in how society views and protects the environment.
Last week more than 400 scientists signed an open letter to political parties urging ambitious action on the environment to prevent making Britain and the world ‘more dangerous and insecure’. Now that the main parties’ manifestos have all been released, Ian Sample is joined by the global environment editor, Jon Watts, and the biodiversity reporter, Phoebe Weston, to find out what the manifestos have to say about nature and climate, and whether anyone is promising the level of action scientists are asking for. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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