General Election 2024: What are the Liberal Democrats' environment and climate policies?

Until recently the UK’s third largest party, the Liberal Democrats appear to be rallying on a raft of strong green policies.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week called a general election - which will be held on 4 July this year. Since then parties have both been hitting the campaign trail to woo voters, and the podium to unveil new policies. But Britain and the world alike are in the midst of nature and climate emergencies, and this election comes at a vital time - when bold environmental policymaking is more important than ever.

We’re fresh off the back of the hottest year on record, with scientists warning we need to slash greenhouse gas emissions, especially those from burning fossil fuels, as a matter of urgency. At the same time, pundits are concerned by either not enough action - or in some cases, what seems like steps in entirely the wrong direction by the country’s two biggest parties.

Britain’s waterways are also plagued by a sewage pollution crisis, with sewage spills into England’s rivers and seas more than doubling in 2023. Meanwhile, the 2023 State of Nature report warned that one in six species in Great Britain was at risk of disappearing.

To this end, NationalWorld is comparing environmental and climate policies across five major parties; the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and the Scottish National Party. Here’s what we know so about the Lib Dems’ green priorities ahead of the General Election:

At a glance

The initial impression is that environmental policies rank highly on the priority list, with “a flourishing environment, with fair access to nature for all” third on the party’s list of five key ideals for achieving a fair deal for Brits.

While the party’s full policies will be confirmed in its upcoming manifesto, the Lib Dems appear to have ambitious plans covering the whole spectrum of different environmental issues - more ambitious in some ways than some of the larger parties. But they also seem to be pragmatic, rooted in the latest science, and most importantly, not too pie-in-the-sky to be achievable.

Water

Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron told NationalWorld that improving water quality and solving the sewage crisis would be a key focus for them. “For years, the Conservatives have let our rivers and streams be polluted with filthy raw sewage. Rather than turn a blind eye, we need clear action to force water companies to clean up their act and protect our natural environment.

“That is why the Liberal Democrat manifesto will have the boldest plans to protect our ecosystems, tackle pollution and to end the sewage scandal - from a tough new regulator to a ban on greedy exec bonuses to holding water bosses properly to account,” he continued.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey even took a dive into Lake Windermere while paddleboarding on Tuesday, as he outlined his party’s plan to tackle the crisis. Under the Lib Dems’ plan, Ofwat would be abolished and replaced with a new water regulator with strengthened regulatory powers, which can issue fines to water company executives and even initiate prosecutions in extreme cases.

Water company profits would be taxed to fund waterway clean-ups, while water company CEOs would be banned from receiving financial bonuses. On top of this, the party wants to extend the Freedom of Information Act to cover water companies and introduce a new 'Sewage Illness Victim Compensation Scheme'. Citizens, charities and other groups would also have the power to take water companies to court.

Emissions, net zero, and a green transition

The party also has a somewhat more ambitious emissions target, wanting to reach net zero by 2045 - as opposed to the current government’s net zero by 2050 target. This would involve investing significantly in renewable power so that 80% of the UK’s electricity was generated from renewables by 2030.

It also wants to provide free retrofits for low-income homes and generous tax incentives for other households to reduce energy consumption, emissions, fuel bills and reliance on gas, while requiring all new builds to be warm, cheap to heat, and have solar panels installed.

Air

In terms of air quality and transport, the Lib Dems say they would also try to pass a new Clean Air Act based on WHO guidelines, enforced by a new Air Quality Agency. This has historically been an issue Labour has championed, although there has been little to no mention of it this election cycle.

The party would drive a push to create new cycling and walking networks separate from motorised traffic in urban areas - as well as to extend and complete the electrification of Britain’s rail network, and build more infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Nature

The Liberal Democrats have also pledged to safeguard and enhance the natural environment. Water policies aside, proposed policies include doubling the size of ‘nature’ by 2050, including the area covered by significant wildlife habitats, and the abundance of species from its current baseline.

In what would be a double-whammy for nature and carbon offsetting, the party wants to plant at least 60 million trees a year. This would be a bid to both help reach net zero and restore woodland habitats - while some could be used to provide more sustainable wood for construction.

More funding would go to the Environment Agency and Natural England to help protect the environment, and farmers would get more support for restoring woodland and peatland, creating natural flood protections and managing land to encourage species recovery and carbon storage.

Amber Allott is NationalWorld’s environment and sustainability specialist, covering all things green - from climate to conservation. If you liked this article you can follow Amber on X (Twitter) here and sign up for the free daily NationalWorld Today newsletter here - with Amber bringing you the UK's most important, pressing, weird and wonderful environmental stories every Tuesday.

You can keep up with the rest of NationalWorld’s election coverage by checking in with political editor Ralph Blackburn. You can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here or sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.