Liberal Democrats take the lead on the environment

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 15th Apr 2005

The Liberal Democrats have today underscored their Party's commitment to the environment by highlighting the 'Green Thread' that runs throughout Liberal Democrat policy.

The Liberal Democrat manifesto, launched yesterday, includes green action points in every policy area. The Liberal Democrats are committed to:

Britain taking the lead on negotiations for the next set of targets for greenhouse gas emissions;

Recycling 60% of all household waste by 2012;

20% of electricity generated by renewable sources by 2020;

Cutting back Labour's road-building programme;

No commercial GM crops, unless they are proved to be safe for people and the environment;

A moratorium on new incinerators and no new nuclear power stations.

Commenting, Don Foster said,

"Environmentally damaging behaviour is costing Britain a massive £67 billion last year - equivalent to last year's budget for the NHS.

"And time is not on our side. The reality of climate change is with us here and now. If Tony Blair had devoted even a tenth of the political energy, wealth and resources that have been expended over Iraq, to convincing George Bush of the urgency of the environmental threat, imagine where we could be by now.

"Throughout our policies on every issue, we have shown how our green policies would work to protect and improve the environment.

"On the environment, the Liberal Democrats are not just the real alternative - If you want to improve the environment we are the only choice."

"Britain needs a party that will put the environment centre stage and face up to the difficult decisions that are necessary to deal with climate change. Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to a green thread throughout government."