A group of green Liberal Democrats today staked their claim to get the green vote in a new publication. So how does their ‘ Green Manifesto‘ compare to other parties’ stances on climate change ahead of the election?

What’s the party’s official stance on climate change?

Lib Dem:

The Liberal Democrats claim to be the only party that “puts tackling climate change at [its] heart”, claiming Labour and the Conservatives merely treat the environment as an afterthought, dropping it as soon as it becomes unpopular. It says it’s creating 200,000 new green jobs as a result of investment in investment in renewable energy.  The Lib Dems also officially support a target to substantially decarbonise the UK power sector by 2030, following a vote in 2012.

But how far the Lib Dems’ green credentials go in practice has been questioned: critics say the party is too easily bossed by its partner in government, the Conservative party. The decarbonisation target didn’t pass last year despite support from Labour and the Lib Dems because the Conservatives opposed it. While 16 Lib Dem MPs rebelled against the government line, enough complied for it not to pass.

Conservative:

The Conservative official position on climate change has three clear strands: getting investment in infrastructure, a diverse energy mix to make the UK “less dependent on imported fossil fuels”, and increasing the UK’s energy efficiency through its Green Deal loan scheme – which hopes to avoid top-down measures and encourage people to voluntarily improve their homes.

The financial crisis means public concern about the environment has waned somewhat, and Conservative positioning has followed suit. Now that money is tighter, the party’s entire position is couched in terms of affordability – offering plans to combat climate change while protecting UK industry and keeping energy bills down. Attempts to pacify the traditionally anti-wind Tory right led the Conservatives to oppose the 2030 target and support alternative lower-carbon energy sources such as nuclear power and shale gas.

Labour:

As the party that oversaw the passing of the Climate Change Act in 2008 with strong cross-party support, Labour’s actions sparked a competition in the 2010 elections to be seen as the UK’s greenest party.

But while in opposition, Labour has done less to date to crystallise its position on climate change before the next election, however. Labour has given some clues as to how it plans to cut UK emissions in a 10-point energy plan, published last year. It wants to see the government’s Green Investment Bank able to borrow and lend money like normal banks do, for example. And following the Lib Dems’ lead, Labour leader Ed Miliband committed to a 2030 decarbonisation target if it got into power.

Pre-election positioning

Lib Dem:

The Lib Dems are the latest to release an unofficial set of policy proposals that address environmental concerns. It’s a holistic approach that seeks to embed environmental considerations throughout policymaking. Greenery’s got to be part of the economic recovery, according to the Lib Dems’ new document.

To that end, it proposes a new “green industrial strategy” to make the country competitive again, supported by decentralised green infrastructure and a stronger Green Investment Bank able to raise finance – something George Osborne has prevented it from doing so far. It also wants 1.5 million new homes built to ‘nearly zero energy’ standards and for all of the UK’s electricity demand to be met by renewable energy by 2050 – a move it says will increase the country’s energy security as well as creating jobs.

The proposal is also unashamedly internationalist. The UK must work with other countries if it’s going to achieve its green growth and emissions-cutting goals, it says. Leader Nick Clegg sees UK involvement in international efforts as core – both on a European level and at the UN’s negotiations towards binding new global efforts to slow climate change.

How many of these proposals make it into the party’s final pre-election manifesto remains to be seen. Certainly, its proposal to break up the Treasury does rather push it into fringe territory. But pro-green Lib Dems are striving to make their presence felt on the public stage, and discontent with the party’s performance in coalition could well spur a stronger stance on climate change – in practice, as well as on paper.

Conservative:

Since election, the Conservative party has seen increasing division over green policies. Debate over climate change has focused around affordability as media outlets have campaigned to have green levies removed from bills and industries have claimed emissions measures are pushing up energy costs and making them more competitive. Pressure from the right of the party – especially in the face of the rise of the even-righter-wing UK Independence Party –  has led to the appointment of apparent climate skeptics such as Michael Fallon and Owen Paterson to cabinet posts.

Record breaking floods this winter have put divisions within the party over climate change under much greater scrutiny. Policies such as cutting spending on the Environment Agency, the body in charge of the UK’s flood defences, now look short-sighted, while other policies that hinge on that defence working – such as a planned flood insurance scheme – seem less than plausible.

Green conservatives are trying – softly-softly – to repair the party’s fractures, however. One recent report presents low carbon policies as sensible investments for a robust economy. A second hopes to strike a more harmonious note on environmental issues, uniting a diverse range of voices to attempt to take back the environmental agenda.

Labour:

Despite a lack of concrete proposals, Labour is starting to be much more vocal about climate change. In his party conference speech, Miliband warned the consequences of failing to take decisive action due to concerns about cost would be disastrous for the UK, calling for a “green industrial revolution” to revive the country’s economic fortunes.

And among all the party leaders competing to be seen in waders in flood-hit areas, Miliband offered possibly the strongest public response to the floods, warning that the UK must prepare for more intense weather events as the climate warms. He called for a cross-party consensus on the need to prepare for this new threat to national security and cut emissions.

Political observers suggest Miliband’s recent comments are a deliberate attempt to take advantage of the Conservatives’ weakness in this area appeal to voters who want to see action to tackle climate change. Is it a sign we could see something more substantive from Labour on climate change? Maybe.

The verdict

On the face of it, the cross-party consensus that saw binding climate goals introduced still stands. But parties’ views on how to meet them have evolved since the last election. A split has emerged between Conservatives who still seem torn between economic recovery and the emerging view that decarbonisation can boost the economy.

The conversation is broadening beyond the rhetoric of affordability, however. Climate change is also appearing in political discourse as a direct threat to the UK’s security, for example. And if the Lib Dems’ green proposals are anything to go by, it’s possible green considerations could start to appear in a much wider range of policy proposals.