Howard outlines Conservatives’ green vision
Conservative leader Michael Howard addressed the Green Alliance and Environment Renewables Management forum this morning, setting out his party’s environmental policy.
The Conservative leader promised to reassert the UK’s international leadership on the environment, and to use its relationship with the USA to encourage it to do more to reduce emissions.
Mr Howard also promised to promote an international emissions trading scheme, similar to that shortly to come into force for Europe.
Other policies Mr Howard announced included the phasing out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) between 2008 and 2014, and extensive fiscal incentives for promoting home and vehicle energy efficiency, and renewable energy generation.
“I make the case today as leader of a party which has consistently placed concern for the environment at the heart of its philosophy. Whether the words were those of Edmund Burke or Margaret Thatcher, the sentiment has been the same for 200 years. Burke saw the living as “the temporary possessors and life renters” of this world. The living must think about the future, lest they, as he put it, “leave to those who come after them a ruin instead of a habitation”, Mr Howard declared.
However, the Conservative leader admitted that his speech only set out generalities.
“Today I am giving you a sense of direction in relation to promoting greener transport. Over the next few weeks and months we will be announcing more specific ideas. We hope they will generate an honest debate, one which will engage the British people with the key challenge of adapting to achieve a more sustainable way of life”, he explained.
Referring to his experience under the Thatcher governments, Mr Howard concluded, “I am the first party leader who has served as Environment Secretary. It’s an issue I care passionately about. I want the Conservatives to carry on leading this debate. And we will.”
