A Sustainability Policy Manifesto from Policy Connect

Policy Connect publishes its Sustainability Manifesto for the General Election 2017. Produced by the organisation’s Sustainability Team, and comprising the expertise of five different independent groups of cross-party parliamentarians and cross-sectoral industry experts.

Based on our work, these should be the green priorities for the new Government:

1.       Embed sustainability across industry.

The new Government should promote the circular economy in an Industrial Strategy, and commit to providing the stimulus for remanufacturing and greater resource efficiency, which will create jobs and reduce waste.

The Policy Connect report Triple Win: the Social, Economic and Environmental Case for Remanufacturing recommends that ‘government should work towards improving and increasing financial investment in the UK remanufacturing industry’. The Link to Link inquiry report recommended that government ‘conduct a call for evidence on the state of play of resource efficiency in UK companies, to determine the barriers preventing them from becoming more resource efficient’. This will play a key part in providing a holistic Environment Plan, and promoting the circular economy by considering supply chains, resources, and remanufacturing.

2.       Reduce carbon emissions.

The new Government should meet the UK’s climate change commitments and contribute toward mitigating climate change by reducing UK carbon emissions. The new BEIS Emissions Reduction Plan should be published to provide certainty to the sustainability sector and wider public, in order to achieve successive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 80% by 2050.

3.       Make homes warm and energy efficient.

The new Government should improve energy efficiency in the home with more rigorous insulation standards, which will reduce energy bills, improve health and reduce carbon emissions. The Westminster Sustainable Business Forum’s Warmer and Greener report recommends raising minimum energy efficiency standards across the private rented and owner-occupier sector.  By clearly outlining their future domestic energy efficiency policy, the Government will provide greater certainty to the industry.

4.       Modernise the gas grid.

The new Government should investigate ways to modernise the natural gas grid, and the potential to use new low carbon gases.

Carbon Connect’s ongoing Future Gas research project into the future of the low carbon gas has so far found that Government should develop the evidence base on the costs and benefits of potential options for the gas grid. This will allow the next Government in 2022-2027 to make a decision on the long term future of the gas grid.