Next month sees the general election taking place in the UK as the incumbent labour prime minister seeks to hold on to 10 Downing Street despite a two pronged challenge from the conservatives and liberal democrats. Labour have been running Britain for 13 years next week and it appears that their grip on power may be at stake as the country entertains the idea of change. Polls since the election date was announced show all three parties within just a few percentage points of one another and it would take a brave gamble to predict the outcome despite the election being less than two weeks away.

With such a tight race each party is doing everything possible to gain additional support to help push their campaign over the finish line and it seems that their stance on environmental issues may be a key in gaining control of parliament. Each party has paid considerable attention to highlighting green concerns and initiatives to their individual manifestos and while the bickering over the economy and immigration might just cause frustration for voters each party hope that their green differences will secure crucial voters.

The highs and lows of two of the manifestos are listed below – it will be fascinating to see which party wins the crucial green vote. Equally refreshing is the fact that two of the parties clearly recognises the value in steering the UK toward being a low carbon nation and even promise to over achieve in developing renewable energy/reducing carbon emissions at rates that exceed European targets. Wind and nuclear energy are both key issues in Britain and it is in those areas where you will see differences between the ideas proposed. What would be ideal for this island nation in the decades ahead would be an effective way to harness the power of the ocean and tides. Despite ranking just 79th globally in total land area the UK has abundant miles of coastline which ranks 13th on earth.

So who would you vote for if the election was to be decided by eco-issues? The conservative party haven’t added any new commitments to their manifesto nor made this a large part of their electioneering during opening and closing statements during recent debates.

Labour

•Use industrial policy, which has seen wind turbine and electric car makers invest in the UK, to create 400,000 green jobs by 2015.
•Use “active government” – ie intervention – in markets to deliver a low-carbon energy sector.
•Up to £5,000 discount for electric cars and 100,000 charging points by 2015.
•Reduce aviation emissions to 2005 levels by 2050.
•Ban all recyclable and biodegradable waste from landfill.

Concerns
•Back a third runway at Heathrow, but rule out any other new runway until 2015.
•Back new coal power stations without requiring that all their carbon emissions are captured and stored.

Winners
•£100 extra towards energy bills for those over 75.
•Prosecution for a car owner if litter is thrown from it, plus seizure of cars used for fly-tipping.
•Treble the number of secure bicycle parking spaces at railway stations.
•Ban wild animals in circuses and maintain the fox-hunting ban.

Liberal Democrats

•Set target for a zero-carbon UK, but allow 10% of emissions to be offset overseas.
•Spend £3.1bn in the first year on a green jobs stimulus which will lead to 100,000 jobs.
•Tax planes, not passengers, to discourage empty flights, and tax short-haul flights more if trains or coaches are available.
•A road-pricing scheme, making motorists pay for their use, offset by scrapping the vehicle excise duty tax disc.
•Tax financial transactions and aviation and shipping emissions to help poorer countries moderate and adapt to climate change.

Concerns
•Rule out a new generation of nuclear power on the grounds of expense – a “big hole” in electricity generation, says Labour.
•Scrap the new Infrastructure Planning Commission and return decision-making to local people – risks delays to renewable energy projects.
•Commit the UK to a target of 40% emissions cut by 2020, breaking step with the EU.

Winners
•Cut rail fares and make Network Rail refund one-third of ticket cost if rail replacement bus services are used.
•£400 eco cashback scheme for new double glazing, boilers or solar panels.
•Double woodland by 2005 and policies to “increase tranquillity” in the countryside.
•Prevent “garden-grabbing” development by designating them as greenfield sites.

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