Taking effective action on climate change

Written by Chris Huhne MP - Shadow Environment Secretary on Fri 6th Oct 2006

Chris Huhne MP - Shadow Minister for the Environment

The biggest threat to humankind deserves the biggest campaign that the Liberal Democrats have ever mounted, and that is what Ming Campbell and I launched at conference last month. With the green tax switch, we became the first British political party to move from talk about why we need to tackle climate change, to plans about how to achieve it.

If you would like to help our campaign in favour of the green tax switch - moving tax from people onto pollution - please join our action week between 21st and 28th October. You can get details of local activities on www.greentaxswitch.com

For example, we will be manning street stalls the length and breadth of Britain to enthuse people with the message that the more you change, the more tax you save.

Taxing pollution - new heavily-emitting cars and half-full flights - allows us to lift two million out of tax altogether, abolish the 10 pence starter rate of income tax, cut 2 pence in the pound off the basic rate, and raise the threshold for the higher rate from £38,000 to £50,000. By ensuring that everyone gets the same tax relief when they put money into their pension fund - so that top-earners lose their double-subsidy - we make the income tax system fairer too.

Of course this is only a start. Green taxes are part of the solution, and a brave part because we are being honest with the electorate about the need to change behaviour. But over the next year, we are embarking on the most thorough and detailed policy review ever undertaken by the party in looking at every aspect of our economy and society.

Building regulations, energy efficiency, flood defences, climate change research, clean power from non-nuclear sources, tougher car exhaust standards and new technologies for the developing world are all part of the remit. We will set out nothing less than a route march to stop climate chaos.

If you would like to keep up with our policy work as we review climate change options, please email ecampaignteam@libdems.org.uk and we will ensure that you have access to the website, on-going consultation and key working documents. Neil Stockley, the chairman, and I want our climate change review to be the most thorough ever undertaken - and I hope you will help us to ensure it is.

Best wishes

Chris Huhne MP

(Shadow Environment Secretary)