Conservative Manifesto 2010 Protect the Environment Introduction

Conservative Manifesto 2010 Protect the Environment Introduction

Vote blue, go green

A Conservative government will cut carbon emissions and rebuild our energy security. We will make it easier for people to go green, with incentives for people to do the right thing. We will protect our precious habitats and natural resources, and promote a sustainable farming industry. We will fulfil our responsibility to hand on a richer and more sustainable natural environment to future generations.

We have a vision of a greener britain. it is a country that leads the world in the market for green goods and services. a new hi-tech manufacturing sector and a new green investment bank help create new jobs, wealth and growth. our cars run on electricity and high speed trains take us across the country in less time than it takes to get across the capital. this is a country which has become the world’s first low carbon economy.

in this vision, our homes require less energy and more of the energy we produce comes from renewable sources. our countryside is better cared for, we conserve more natural habitats, and we create new green spaces and plant many more trees. our landscape is protected and our wildlife is enjoyed by more people of all ages. it is a greener and more pleasant land for all its citizens.

this is a Conservative vision for our future, and it is based on Conservative values. We believe that it is our responsibility to create a clean and healthy environment to pass on to our children. that is why we have put green issues back at the heart of our politics and that is why they will be at the heart of our government.

instead of using rules and regulations to impose a centralised worldview, we will go with the grain of human nature, creating new incentives and market signals which reward people for doing the right thing. instead of pulling bureaucratic levers from above telling people what they can’t do, we will provide people with the information they need to make more responsible choices. instead of holding businesses back by imposing unfair retrospective stealth taxes, we will unleash the power of green enterprise and promote resource efficiency to generate thousands of green jobs. this is how we will live up to our responsibility to be the greenest government in our history.

Freiburg
Freiburg in germany is a world leader in environmental sustainability. Solar panels have been installed across the city – on schools, churches and private houses, and even on the sports stadium and the City hall. over the past 30 years, 500km of bike lanes and 9,000 bike parking sites have been put in place and, as a result, freiburg now has the lowest car usage of any city in germany. freiburg also has one of the highest recycling rates of any city in the world, which has been achieved by changing social norms and providing facilities that make it as easy as possible for people to recycle. this emphasis on sustainability has had an economic benefit too: Freiburg is home to 1,500 green technology companies, which employ over 10,000 people and generate hundreds of millions of euros for the local economy.