Party Manifestos: Breakdown of sustainability-related commitments

25 Jun 2024 03:04 PM

Earlier this month, we saw the publication of all party manifestos ahead of the upcoming general election. But what did Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats commit to in terms of sustainability?

Check our summary below. 

Net Zero targets

Labour

• Ensure the institutional framework for policy making reflects commitments to reach net zero and meet carbon budgets. 
• Clean power mission to be delivered by 2030.
• Double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, in collaboration with private sector. 

Liberal Democrats

• Cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045 at the latest.  
• Meet the UK’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions by at least 68% from 1990 levels by 2030. 
• Invest in renewable power so that 90% of the UK’s electricity is generated from renewables by 2030. 

Conservatives

• Guarantee a vote in the next Parliament on the next stage of the UK’s net zero pathway, with adoption of any new target accompanied by consideration of the plans and policies required to meet the target.  

ESG disclosures

Labour

• Mandate UK-regulated financial institutions and FTSE 100 companies to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with thE Paris Agreement. 

Liberal Democrats

• Require all large companies listed on UK stock exchanges to set targets consistent with achieving the net zero goal, and to report on their progress.  
• Require large businesses to publish transition plans to become nature positive across their activities and supply chains. 
• Require large businesses to publish transition plans to become nature positive across their activities and supply chains.  
• Introduce nature-related financial disclosure requirements for large businesses. 

Conservatives

• Take more companies out of the scope of reporting requirements by lifting the employee threshold allowing more companies to be considered medium-sized. 

Circular economy

Labour

• Reduce waste by moving to a circular economy.

Liberal Democrats

• Accelerate the transition to a more circular economy that maximises the recovery, reuse, recycling and remanufacturing of products. 

Conservatives

• No mention.  

Human rights and modern slavery

Labour

• No specific mention of modern slavery in supply chains but commits to uphold human rights in international law. 

Liberal Democrats

• Introduce a general duty of care for the environment and human rights in business operations and supply chains.  
• Establish a new Worker Protection Enforcement Authority unifying responsibilities currently spread across three agencies – including enforcing the minimum wage, tackling modern slavery and protecting agency workers.  
• Transfer responsibility for identifying modern slavery victims from the Home Office to local safeguarding agencies.  
• Invest in technology to tackle smuggling, trafficking and modern slavery. 

Conservatives

• Combat the ability of serious organised crime gangs to use new technology to harm the public. 
• Work to end human trafficking and modern slavery. 

Organisational structure of the government

Labour

• ‘Mission Driven’ approach to government, setting up new cross-departmental committees.

Liberal Democrats

• Appoint a Chief Secretary for Sustainability in the Treasury to ensure that the economy is sustainable, resource-efficient and zero-carbon.  
• Establish a new Net Zero Delivery Authority to coordinate action across government departments and work with devolved administrations, and hand more powers and resources to local councils for local net zero strategies.  
• Coordinate action across the UK by creating a Joint Climate Council of the Nations. 

Conservatives

• Reform the Climate Change Committee, giving it an explicit mandate to consider cost to households and UK energy security in its future climate advice. 

Infrastructure and national grid

Labour

• Establish a new publicly-owned company, Great British Energy, to drive investment in clean domestic energy production and partner with industry and trade unions to co-invest in leading technologies and support capital-intensive projects. 
• Great British Energy will be capitalised with £8.3 billion over the next parliament. 
• Work with Ofgem to address the burden of standing charges while upgrading the national transmission infrastructure.  
• Reform planning and create a new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, bringing together existing bodies, to set strategic infrastructure priorities and oversee the design, scope, and delivery of projects. 

Liberal Democrats

• Require the National Infrastructure Commission to take fully into account the environmental implications of all national infrastructure decisions. 
• Build the grid infrastructure required, facilitated by a strategic Land and Sea Use Framework. 
• Reduce access costs for grid connections. 

Conservatives

• Ensure any requirements to offset the impact of new infrastructure on an area are proportionate, without compromising environmental outcomes. 
• Cut waiting times to get a grid connection. 

Green skills

Labour

• Invest in education and training to equip people with the skills needed for the low-carbon economy of the future. 

Liberal Democrats

• Invest in education and training to equip people with the skills needed for the low-carbon economy of the future. 

Conservatives

• Support Scotland’s workforce transition to new industries such as carbon capture, offshore wind, hydrogen and tidal.  
• Provide £15 million to support the Energy Transition Zone’s skills programmes. 

Biodiversity Net Gain

Labour

• No specific mention other than to create new nature-rich habitats. On nutrient neutrality they focus on homes.   

Liberal Democrats

• Ensure new developments result in significant net gain for biodiversity, with up to a 100% net gain for large developments.  

Conservatives

• No new commitments.  

Sustainable procurement

Labour

• Simplify procurement processes.  
• Procurement (and trade policy) will be aligned with industrial strategy priorities. 

Liberal Democrats

• Expand the market for climate-friendly products and services with steadily higher criteria in public procurement policy. 

Conservatives

• Deliver the Integrated Procurement Model to make defence procurement more efficient and consider ESG factors for defence. 

UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) & UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)

Labour

• Introduce a CBAM to protect British industries and prevent dumping. 

Liberal Democrats

• Implement the CBAM for high-emission products. Also link EU ETS. 

Conservatives

• Implement a CBAM by 2027. 
• £500 million grant (as part of a £1.25 billion commitment) to ensure steel can be produced in the UK.  

Industry engagement and investment

Labour

• Publish a new Industrial Strategy to remove barriers to growth and establish an Industrial Strategy Council. It will take a sectoral approach ad create an innovation supportive regulatory framework. 
• Specific investments in CCUS, hydrogen, supply chains that total £7.8bn.
• Set up a National Wealth Fund to support high emission industries in decarbonising. 
• Reverse the decision to prevent the Bank of England considering climate change in the various mandates it has. 

Liberal Democrats

• Provide more advice to companies on cutting emissions, supporting the development of regional industrial clusters for zero-carbon innovation. 
• Increase the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.  
• Set out a clear and stable roadmap to net zero to give businesses the confidence to invest.  
• Tackle the productivity crisis by encouraging businesses to invest in training, take up digital technologies and become more energy efficient, including through our industrial strategy and reform of business rates. 
• Support science, research and innovation, particularly among small businesses and startups, in universities and in zero-carbon and environmental technologies. 
• Expand the British Business Bank to perform a more central role in the economy, to ensure that viable SMEs have access to capital, and enable it to help ‘crowd-in’ private investment, in particular in zero-carbon products and technologies. 

Conservatives

• Build two carbon capture and storage clusters in North Wales, the North West of England and Teesside and the Humber.   
• Invest £1.1 billion into the Green Industries Growth Accelerator to support British manufacturing capabilities and boost supply chains. 
• Provide a £4.5 billion commitment to secure strategic manufacturing sectors including automotive, aerospace, life sciences and clean energy. 

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