the green standard
Leading environmental groups to launch environmental leadership tests on 27 February
Press release for immediate release - 21.02.07
Nine of the UK's leading environmental groups1, with more than five million supporters between them, are joining forces to establish a series of environmental tests against which they intend to judge the three main parties in the lead-up to the next General Election.
The challenges will be launched on the morning of Tuesday 27 February. Peter Ainsworth MP, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary and David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for the Environment (tbc) will offer initial responses2.
Although climate change has risen up the political agenda, groups from Greenpeace to the National Trust maintain that the three parties are still showing little appetite for effective action. The parties must develop policies commensurate with the scale of the challenges facing us in relation to climate change, the countryside and wildlife.
Despite rising demand from the public and business, the environmental beauty contest between the main parties has so far been characterised by too much spin and too little substance.
Yet polling shows that the public and business want more from politicians. Market research carried out last year showed that 74 per cent of the public believed that “environment / climate change is very important to me and will influence how I will vote at the next general election.”3
Another poll showed that 57 per cent agreed that government should impose higher taxes on activities that cause pollution even if that meant the end of cheap flights and driving a car becomes more expensive.4
Recent announcements by companies - such as a number of retailers and supermarkets5 - suggest that the business community is starting to raise its green game, certainly on climate change. A recent poll of European business leaders identified environmental protection as the top priority for politicians.6
The nine groups behind today’s initiative will publish regular assessments of the main political parties’ environmental performance, and mobilise their members behind the tests, in the run up to the next General Election. The first will be published in September this year, ahead of the annual party conferences. The final assessment will be published prior to the next General Election.
Stephen Hale, Director of Green Alliance, said on behalf of the groups:
“The UK's leading environmental groups welcome the prominence that the political parties are now giving to the environment. We hope that all parties will meet the green standard that we are setting out together.
“The political parties need to deliver action and commitment, as well as speeches and photo calls, to gain the public’s confidence on the environment.
“The UK’s leading environmental groups will use these tests to judge the environmental beauty contest that has broken out between the political parties.”
Further Information:
- This initiative is supported by the CPRE, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Green Alliance, National Trust, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, and WWF.
- The launch of The Green Standard will be on Tuesday 27 February, 10.30 -12.30, at Local Government House, Smith Square, London. Spokespersons attending will be Peter Ainsworth, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary and David Miliband, Secretary of State for the Environment (tbc).
- Populus poll October 2006 http://www.populuslimited.com/
- Ibid
- For example, M&S, B&Q and BSkyB.
- Edition 16 UPS Europe Business Monitor poll. Business leaders rated protecting the environment as the top priority for political leaders (45%), December 2006. http://www.ebm.ups.com/europe/ebm/pdf/EBMXVI_UK.pdf
Press contacts:
Cherry Farrow, Media Consultant, 07739 573932
Stephen Hale, Green Alliance - 020 7233 7433
Andre Farrar, RSPB - 01767 680 551
David Cowdrey, WWF – 01483 412 378
James Turner, Greenpeace - 0207 8658255
Jules Acton, The Wildlife Trusts – 01636 670078
Julian Lloyd, National Trust – 020 7799 4527
Nicola Frank, CPRE – 020 7981 2880/2800
Nicola Jackson, Friends of the Earth - 020 7566 1649
Steve Marsh, Woodland Trust - 01476 581154
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