General Election 2015: Keep Lib Dems in coalition, says green industry

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The Liberal Democrats must play a part in the next government, however it is constituted, to ensure the fight is maintained against climate change, 20 figures from the renewable energy industry and businesses say in a letter to The Independent on Sunday.

The letter is published to coincide with the launch of Nick Clegg’s party’s environment manifesto which includes radical targets for zero carbon energy, a pledge to improve air quality and council tax discounts for energy-efficient homes. Speaking to The IoS, Environment Secretary Ed Davey refused to describe the measures as “red lines” in any coalition negotiations, but said they were “green lines” that sent a strong signal to the other parties where they stood on the environment.

The signatories to the letter praise the track record of Lib Dem ministers in the current coalition for setting up Britain’s first Green Investment Bank, taking on George Osborne at the Treasury over carbon emissions targets, £37bn invested in renewable energy and protecting the natural environment. They say that the Lib Dems in government kept to the pledge of the “greenest government ever”.

The letter reads: “The vital EU 2030 deal – that set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets across the EU – simply would not have happened without Ed Davey’s personal leadership, especially through the EU Green Growth Group he established.

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“We have been impressed with the determination of Liberal Democrat ministers to fight for the environment agenda – even when they met significant resistance … With the polls showing that another hung parliament is likely, we hope – for the sake of the battle against climate change and for our environment – that any coalition will include the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems can secure Britain’s progress towards a clean energy future and ensure that our country will continue to play a leading international role on the green agenda.”

Mr Davey and Nick Clegg will launch their party’s environment mini-manifesto this week which will include pledges for a legal requirement for zero carbon power by 2050 and green incentives including £100 council tax discounts every year for 10 years for home-owners who significantly improve the energy efficiency of their home. There will also be a Green Transport Act to enshrine in law a national air quality plan to improve Britain’s air quality by 2020, one of five “green laws” the Lib Dems will push in a coalition.

Mr Davey said: “We are going to make sure that not just the last government was the greenest government but the next government will be the greenest government.” Asked if the measures were red lines, he said: “These are our green lines. We put things on the front page of the manifesto for a very clear signal to voters, these are our priorities.” He said a national air quality plan was a priority because air pollution was the second biggest threat to public health after tobacco in the UK.

Asked whether the Conservatives or Labour would be more amenable to the Lib Dem “green lines”, Mr Davey said: “The Tories are hopeless on onshore wind. They do have people who believe climate change isn’t happening. Labour is in a better place on those issues, but its energy strategy of wholesale price regulation is getting close to being nutty and will really chill investment in green energy. They’re both as bad as each other but for different reasons.”

Mr Davey said that a government of “Blukip” – the Lib Dems’ label for the Conservatives, Ukip and the DUP – “should really worry people”, adding: “In the context of climate change and the environment I am deeply alarmed because you’ll see onshore wind, the cheapest renewable electricity, stopped in its tracks. And our leadership role in Europe, which we’ve had in the last three-plus years thanks to the Liberal Democrats, will just go overnight. We are the insurance policy for the economic recovery to continue. We are the guarantee that the environment and climate change will be at the heart of the next government.”

The signatories to the letter include Bruce Davis, the managing director of Abundance Generation, a green investment organisation; David Hempleman-Adams, founder of the polar expedition organisation Cold Climates; Dr Mark Hinnells of renewable energy company Susenco; and Susan Juned, the director of Greenwatt Technology Solutions.