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The Party is the only party that activity, wildlife and nature across puts the environment at the heart of all this country is in decline. The 2016 our policies - because, quite simply, State of Nature report reported that a prosperous, thriving future will be almost 60% of species in the UK are in green - or not at all. long-term decline, while 15% are at risk of disappearing from our shores Our economic prosperity depends on altogether. the natural world. It is the ultimate source of everything we make and use This national picture is only a drop in - from food and materials, to the air the ocean of a global ecological crisis: we breathe. Even the digital economy humans are pushing at the boundaries depends on rare earth metals and huge of our planet. With 2016 the hottest amounts of energy. And we rely on year on record, and a climate-denier delicate ecological systems to sustain in the White House, the need for bold life on earth - from bees pollinating and dynamic action on climate change our crops to trees absorbing carbon has never been more urgent. The UK dioxide. Building a successful economy must lead the world in building a green is not at odds with protecting our economy and investing in a viable environment: it is impossible without future - one that respects and nurtures it. Right now, we are destroying the the natural systems on which we foundations of our economy faster depend. than they can be regenerated: we are eroding the ground we’re standing on.

The has a unique and beautiful natural environment – from the magical Giant’s Causeway to the idyllic South Downs, the rolling Northumberland Coast to the majestic peaks of the Lake District. Unfortunately, due to intensive farming, climate change, and other human

environment manifesto / page 1 RESTORE OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS FOR ALL The would set an inspiring and Areas of Outstanding Natural »» Promote a network of new inter- We would levy a one-off fine on vision for the natural world, both on Beauty – and including a long- linking local ecological spaces car manufacturers who cheated land and at sea, with thriving species, term 25 year target for biodiversity, on both land and sea, ensuring that the emissions testing regime, and healthy habitats, and ensuring the water and air quality. both our wildest places and urban introduce a new Clear Air Act, it would: environment is top of the political green spaces are protected and agenda. »» Create a new environmental allowed to flourish. »» Expand and strengthen a regulator and court to effectively mandatory Clean Air Zone A Green Guarantee in Brexit and monitor and enforce environmental NB: Environmental regulations, network, empowering local Trade Deals law - this would include new monitoring and reporting would be authorities to take control of air statutory requirements for updates negotiated with and alongside the pollution in their communities. From restrictions on pesticides to to (and debates in) Parliament on devolved administrations. protect our bees, to crucial regulations the state of nature and biodiversity. »» Remove diesel cars from our on dangerous chemicals in toys, the »» Establish roads – including an increase in Green Party will ensure that existing a right for every Vehicle Excise Duty on new diesel environmental laws are retained, person in the UK vehicles, and a scrappage scheme. or enhanced, no matter our future to have access to relationship with the European Union. a healthy and safe »» Promote cycling and walking We will ensure that importortant natural green space through a £2bn programme of principles – such as the Precautionary promoting good investment in healthy, active and Polluter-Pays principles – are mental health, physical transport. transposed into UK statute books. exercise, and building community. Protection from Climate Change Environmental Protection Act Clean Our Air Even if we cut global emissions to zero We will introduce an Environmental today, the effects of climate change Protection Act, this will: The UK is facing will be felt for generations. We would a public health invest in a climate-proof future – for »» Guarantee strong protections for emergency – over example, by building flood defences, our natural environment and 40,000 early deaths investing in natural flood management, oceans, especially for the Green are attributable to air including restoring uplands, to make Belt, National Parks, SSSIs pollution every year. every community safe. environment manifesto / page 2 environment manifesto / page 3 TAKE BACK CONTROL OF OUR ENERGY SYSTEm Our energy system is broken and Clean, Renewable Energy solar-photovoltaics; scaling up A Fair and Just Energy System is not delivering what households investment in offshore wind and and businesses need. Captured by The Green Party will breathe life marine renewables; significant »» End the monopoly of the Big corporate profit, ripping us off, and back into the Climate Change Act investment in vehicle electrification Six by building democratic, fuelled by dirty energy that belongs by investing in an energy system fit and charging infrastructure; and a locally owned alternatives. We in the past, it is failing us both as for the 21st century. We will ensure comprehensive plan to decarbonise will require grid operators to give customers and as citizens. We need that all new investment in energy is heat, including pilot residential and priority access to community to harness the dramatically falling directed towards clean, renewable commercial projects. energy projects, and pioneer a costs of renewable energy and seize energy, and a smarter, networked grid, new Community Energy Tool Kit the opportunity to both tackle climate with battery-storage, demand-side »» Create a new Green Investment to empower local communities change and take back control of measures, and interconnection. This and Innovation Centre with to create energy and municipal our energy system. The Green Party would be detailed in a comprehensive borrowing powers to help create heating projects in every town would end the monopoly of the Big Clean Energy Plan, and would include: and finance the transition to a and city. Six, and ensure that no-one is forced zero-carbon economy. This would to live in fuel poverty - whilst also »» Keep fossil fuels where they replace the UK Green Investment »» Introduce progressive energy democratising the way energy assets belong: in the ground. We will Bank – a victim of reckless tariffs so that small consumers are funded. introduce a ban on fracking, Conservative ideology – and create pay less per unit than large ones, phase-out the £6bn-a-year fossil a government owned hub for special needs are recognised, Global Climate Cooperation fuel subsidies, bring forward the innovation and investment in our people are not cut off when they coal phase-out date to 2023 (at low-carbon economy. can’t afford to pay, and nobody We will stand alongside those countries the latest), divest public funds is forced to have pre-payment across the world fighting for climate from the fossil fuel industry, and »» End the reckless gamble with meters. justice, and push for concerted global ensure a just transition for those nuclear power – we will cancel action to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. communities dependent on fossil the contracts for Hinkley Point C »» Embark upon a national We would clearly outline how the fuel jobs. (saving £37bn), and scrap plans programme of insulation and UK would meet our domestic and for all new nuclear power stations, retrofitting to make every home international obligations – ending the »» End the effective ban instead investing in renewable warm – bringing two million people current policy uncertainty - whilst on onshore wind – the cheapest energy, a flexible grid, and out of fuel poverty, insulating making climate change a major foreign form of new electricity generation interconnection to Europe. nine million homes, and creating policy priority. – and introducing new support for hundreds of thousands of jobs onshore wind and across the UK. In addition, we will environment manifesto / page 4 environment manifesto / page 5 FARMING AND FISHING THAT WORK FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET ensure that all new homes are built Bonds by allowing tax-free bonds Intensive agriculture and fishing has Restoring and Protecting our to zero-carbon standards by 2020. for green projects, and issuing been disastrous the natural world – for Oceans government backed Green Bonds example, it is estimated that the UK »» Democratise energy ownership - and requiring all projects that only has 100 harvests left because We will ensure the completion of an by reforming Tax Relief for obtain government support to have intensive agriculture has left our soils ecologically-coherent network of smaller-scale projects, introducing a community ownership element. in a dire state. The Green Party will well-managed marine protection areas Green ISAs, promoting Green create more sustainable farming and around the UK, and in UK Overseas land-use policies that are focussed on Territories. In addition, any new restoring the UK’s natural environment fisheries legislation must contain a – as well as ensure that reuse and legal requirement to fish below a level recycling are at the heart of our that allows fish stocks to fully recover, economy. should promote locally-led fishing that supports coastal economies, and bring A Fairer Food System an end to damaging fishing operations in protected areas. We will implement Our departure from the European a Blue New Deal to regenerate coastal Union presents an opportunity to move communities, harnessing the potential towards an ecologically sustainable of our seas whilst protecting the farming system; one that focuses marine environment. on supporting family farms and re- localising food production, thereby End Plastic Waste & Promote the creating thriving rural communities. Circular Economy The Green Party will refocus public funding for the rural economy towards In the UK, 35 million plastic bottles restoring biodiversity, sustainable land are bought every day – that’s 200 per management and farming, improving person every year – and 44% of these animal welfare, and tackling climate are not recycled. This means 16 million change. plastic bottles every day end up in our environment, whether sent to landfill, incinerated or simply dumped in the countryside, parks, streets or beaches. The Green Party would promote environment manifesto / page 6 environment manifesto / page 7 the culture of reusing and refilling, through: the introduction of a bottle deposit scheme; free public water dispensers and a community refill scheme; and an end to unnecessary single-use plastics. Tackling plastic waste sits alongside our long-standing commitment to creating a more circular economy - where recycling and reusing materials become central to our way of life.

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Published and promoted by Nick Martin at Green Party of England and Wales, Biscuit Factory, A Block, 100 Clements Road, SE16 4DG. Printed by London City Print.