15 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrats : Environment News Feed

Fri 4th Jul 2008:

We must move away from unsustainable biofuels - Baker.

Commenting on reports that biofuels have pushed up world food prices by up to 75%, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This is extremely worrying and a clear sign that we must move away from unsustainable biofuels. "It’s time the Government and the EU closed the loopholes that support corn-based US bioethanol over more sustainable biofuels. "However, not all biofuels are the same and we should not overreact and abandon the entire project. "Some biofuels have potential to reduce carbon emissions from transport without having this effect on food production, but stringent sustainability standards are essential. "We must also be aware that estimates of the effects of biofuels on food prices vary wildly and we should not rush to judgement until a consensus emerges."

Thu 26th Jun 2008:

Brown doesn't do 'green' - Webb.

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s announcement of new investment in renewable energy sources, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "With Britain lagging near the bottom of the European renewables league table, it is hard to believe Gordon Brown’s talk of a ‘green revolution’. "The fundamental problem is that Brown doesn’t do ‘green’. He would rather urge oil producers to extract more oil than invest in technologies that will actually save CO2 emissions now. "When the Government has failed so lamentably to take a political lead in the last 11 years, why should we believe the coming years will be any different? "Many other European countries have achieved far more on renewables by giving people incentives to generate their own power. So-called feed-in tariffs have been highly successful in countries such as Germany, yet the Government blocked an attempt by its own side to include these in the recent Energy Bill."

Wed 25th Jun 2008:

Government's leisurely attitude to flooding unimpressive - Webb.

Commenting on today’s Pitt Report on flooding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "It is totally unacceptable that, one year on, there are still 5,000 families not back in their own homes. "The Pitt Review shows that urgent action is needed and yet all the Government is promising is draft legislation later in the year. Householders at risk of flooding this summer will not be impressed by the Government's leisurely attitude. "DEFRA may want to do its best to tackle flooding, but once again it is being thwarted by the actions of the rest of Government. "The Government is insisting on its target of 3 million new homes by 2026, yet hasn’t ruled out building on flood risk areas. "People in such areas are already finding that they cannot sell their homes and they cannot get insurance. It is sheer folly to press ahead with massive, centrally imposed house-building targets which are bound to lead to pressure for building in flood plains."

Fri 20th Jun 2008:

Feeble response will not stop homes being ruined by flooding -Webb.

Commenting on Hilary Benn’s announcement of plans, including a new website and phone line, to help people protect homes and businesses from flooding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "This is a woefully inadequate response to a major and growing problem. "Thousands of families are still not back in their homes after last year's floods and all the Government can come up with is a website, a pilot scheme and a consultation. "The feebleness of this response highlights the fact that DEFRA is grossly under-resourced for the important job it has to do. "Flooding is going to become a bigger and bigger issue, and the Government needs to devote resources to it that are up to the scale of the problem. "Another round of pilot schemes and consultations is not going to help anyone avoid seeing their home ruined this summer."

Thu 19th Jun 2008:

Transformation in leadership needed to hit renewables targets - Webb.

Commenting on today’s Renewables Advisory Board report, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "The Government’s renewable energy target is achievable but, as the report states, only if there is strong political leadership. "For the last 11 years and beyond the Government has totally lacked the political will to meet these targets, leaving us with one of the worst records in Europe. "Based on our performance over the last 11 years, it will take a transformation in political leadership if the UK is to hit its renewables targets for 2020. "Given that energy ministers spend all their time planning for new nuclear power plants rather than driving up renewable rates, we can have little confidence that this leadership will be forthcoming."

Thu 12th Jun 2008:

Government must speed up moves to harness Severn tidal power - Webb.

Commenting on today’s report on the Severn Barrage, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "It is important that we hit our renewable targets in a cost-effective way, and this report provides valuable information on different strategies. "But we cannot meet our renewable targets through low cost options alone. We need a huge expansion of renewables and that will mean a combination of different resources. "The Severn estuary has huge potential for power generation and the Government should speed up its appraisal of the different options so that a decision can be made. "With the soaring costs of other forms of electricity generation, it is hard to believe that there is no relatively cost-effective way of harnessing the tidal power of the Severn."

Community bribes will add to soaring cost of nuclear waste disposal - Webb.

Commenting ahead of the Government’s announcement of procedures for choosing nuclear waste disposal sites, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "The bill for cleaning up our past nuclear waste is soaring astronomically. These sweeteners to bribe communities into taking a new waste dump will increase these costs further. "If the Government is determined to press ahead with new nuclear plants, it is vital that the companies involved are made to meet the full cost of clean-up. "They must not be allowed to leave an expensive and toxic legacy for the taxpayer for a second time."

Thu 5th Jun 2008:

Government's environmental stance hopelessly contradictory - Webb.

Commenting on today's Government announcement of plans aimed at expanding wind power, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "The Government's stance on environmental issues is hopelessly contradictory. "This new encouragement for wind farms from one part of the Government is welcome, but at the same time the new Planning Bill threatens to wreak environmental havoc.   "If the Government gets its way, the good work done promoting wind farms will be undone by the vast expansion of airports, roads and polluting power stations."

Fri 30th May 2008:

Energy companies should pay to insulate homes - Webb.

Commenting ahead of tomorrow's Government announcement on tackling fuel poverty, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "Tens of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people will die this winter due to the cold weather unless ministers take strong action to tackle fuel poverty. "It is scandalous that last winter saw 20,000 extra deaths due in large part to inadequate heating and insulation. This figure could easily double next winter thanks to soaring fuel and heating bills. "The Government must force energy companies to act more responsibly. Vulnerable customers should automatically be guaranteed the best tariffs. "Ministers should hang their heads in shame that British homes are so badly insulated compared with other European countries. Current insulation programmes are woefully inadequate. "These necessary measures could easily be undertaken by the energy companies, which have been profiting from massive windfalls as fuel prices rise."

Fri 9th May 2008:

Government failing to grasp the seriousness of flooding - Webb.

Commenting on today’s [Wednesday] Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report on last summer’s flooding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "This report shows that the Government is failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation. With severe floods likely to become more common due to climate change, we need a real strategy and real investment to protect high-risk areas. "Current funding is totally inadequate. The ABI, the Government’s own Foresight report and the agency responsible for flood defences are all calling for spending to be increased to £1bn, but their advice is falling on deaf ears. "The £200m increase the Government announced last year does not stand up to scrutiny when inflation and rising costs in the building trade are taken into consideration. It is too little to cope with the increasing risks the country faces, and doesn’t even come fully into effect for another two years. "The £34.5 million the Government has set aside to implement the recommendations in the interim Pitt Review looks like the money they’ve got left over. The Government has failed to provide any details about how this money will be spent, or about how the Pitt Review will be funded in the future. "The report also reveals that no one is responsible for protecting people and properties from surface water, which caused around two-thirds of the flooding last summer. "It is time for the Government to clarify who is responsible and ensure that all sources of flooding are properly addressed, so that thousands of people are saved from a repeat of the misery still being suffered by so many after last year’s floods."

Thu 8th May 2008:

Government clueless about cutting travel costs or emissions - Baker.

Commenting on today’s [Thursday] Tandberg report, which shows that most Government departments are failing to reduce unnecessary travel or investigate green alternatives to flying, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This Government simply doesn’t understand how to cut carbon emissions or control costs. "Today’s report shows that basic steps are not being taken to reduce the need to travel. The taxpayer and the environment are paying the price for the Government’s extravagance. "Ministers clearly prefer jetting around the world to using less glamorous but more sustainable alternatives, such as video conferencing." Notes 1. The report found that: - There is a clear problem with government departments not recording travel adequately, with only four departments able to provide details on the number and cost of flights taken to overseas destinations in response to parliamentary questions. - Government departments do not routinely record the amount spent on travel, and rarely ask civil servants to justify their travel by stating that they have looked at alternatives such as tele or video conferencing - The Treasury spent over £1m on just 753 flights at an average cost of £1397 per flight in one year.

Government's failure to meet green targets astonishing - Webb.

Commenting on today’s [Thursday] Policy Exchange report, which shows the Government is likely to miss more than half of the green targets it has set since 1997, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "For more than a decade, the Government has made big promises on the environment. Yet this report shows they have completely failed to deliver. "It is astonishing that even when the Government sets its own green targets, it consistently misses them. "It is vital that ministers stick to the targets in the Climate Change Bill to prevent looming climate chaos."

Fri 2nd May 2008:

Government's attitude on biofuels crude and simplistic - Webb.

Commenting on today’s [Friday] Environmental Audit Committee report on the sustainability of biofuels, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "Biofuels must not damage the environment they are meant to protect. "The early rush towards biofuels failed to take into account their wider environmental impact and the Government’s current policy is far too crude and simplistic to change this. "European targets must not incentivise the production of unsustainable biofuels and the Government must act now to prevent this from happening. "What is needed is an international policy which discourages the use of damaging biofuels, without undermining the promotion of sustainable ones."

Shell's decision blows a hole in Government's green energy plans - Webb.

Commenting on Shell’s decision to sell its share in the world’s largest offshore wind power scheme, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "Shell’s decision to pull out of the London Array blows a huge hole in the Government’s rhetoric about renewable energy. Britain is already near the bottom of the European league table on green energy, and now a major investor has decided that other countries offer a better environment for wind power. "If we are to meet our internationally agreed goals on renewable energy, the Government needs a radical re-think on its policy in this area. "Only yesterday the Brown Government faced its biggest ever rebellion over its refusal to back new incentives for small scale renewable generators. Now a flagship wind farm has been undermined by the withdrawal of a major international investor. "The Government should be taking a lead on driving forward renewable energy, instead of being permanently behind the curve on what is needed."

Wed 23rd Apr 2008:

Government dithers whilst fuel poverty persists - Webb.

Commenting on the outcome of Ofgem’s summit today where energy companies promised to renew their efforts to tackle fuel poverty, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "Yet again, ministers are crossing their fingers and hoping that the problem will go away rather than using their powers to force the energy companies to help poor customers."Whilst the Government has dithered the penalty for being a customer on a pre-payment meter has actually gone up. The problem has been well known for years, but still nothing has been done. "The array of different energy suppliers and deals on offer can be completely baffling for many households. The Government must legislate now to give vulnerable consumers a right to the best tariff that their energy supplier offers."Ministers claiming they’re committed to the fuel poverty targets shows how totally out of touch they really are. "With more than four million households already living in fuel poverty, and with further huge price hikes expected later this year, there is no way the Government will eradicate fuel poverty unless its policies are dramatically toughened."

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