It is reckless and disgraceful for the Conservatives to have both broken the political consensus on climate change when in government and now threatening to rip up all our climate pledges enshrined in law. We are facing one of the greatest threats to our planet and the Right doesn’t care. In fact, it wants to make things worse for our children and grandchildren. We will not be silent. We will fight back for Climate and Nature.
A decade of negligent energy policies under the Conservatives has had impacts on the health and finances of families and businesses who are being punished with sky-high bills. Liberal Democrats will not stand by while many people are forced to choose between heating and eating. Where we are seeing the devastating health impacts and avoidable deaths due to either cold homes during winter or overheated homes with no ventilation during the ever more frequent heatwaves, we will fight to get those bills down, improve housing and living standards, and grow the economy.
But part of the problem is the false narrative that Nigel Farage is peddling - and Kemi Badenoch is poorly imitating - that claims renewable energy is to blame for high bills. For too long people have allowed his myths to spread unchallenged. Liberal Democrats will put a stop to that.
The truth is that homegrown renewable energy is now the cheapest, most secure form of power we have. Cancelling wind and solar projects won’t make bills cheaper – it will lock us into expensive fossil fuels and hand more power to foreign dictators like Vladimir Putin. Nigel Farage might like that, but that’s not what Liberal Democrats call standing up for Britain.
Instead, Liberal Democrats have a plan to cut energy bills by half - at least - within ten years by investing in renewables and breaking the link between gas prices and electricity costs.
And it’s not just energy. That’s what the Labour Government seems to be forgetting. The Liberal Democrats are calling for greater empowerment of local authorities through a statutory climate and nature duty. Our approach puts people first, showing the real, tangible benefits of climate action: cleaner air, more sustainable transport, and greener communities.
Poll after poll shows that the British public – and 80% of Liberal Democrat voters – back climate action. In Parliament we have shown that when we campaign boldly, from demanding solar panels on new homes to championing community-owned clean energy, we win.
That’s why Liberal Democrats will lead the charge against the Right’s war on climate action. We will be the hopeful, constructive climate and nature opposition that Britain needs and fight to protect the environment for future generations.