Will David Cameron Take the Tough Decisions on Climate Change?

2.52.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 3rd Oct 2007

Letter to Bucks Examiner published 27 September 2007

The recent publication of John Gummer and Zac Goldsmith's independent Quality of Life report to the Conservative Shadow Cabinet was met predictably with howls of anguish from the right wing press and Conservative members. But many of the ideas contained in "Blueprint for a Green Economy" such as providing real incentives to boost investment in renewable energy technologies and for people to choose more fuel efficient cars are simple commonsense measures.

Political consensus on these issues is vital to encourage investment in UK jobs and manufacturing in renewable energy and other "green" technologies. Germany alone has over 300,000 jobs in this sector and literally thousands of business and community scale solar, biomass and other renewable energy installations of the type we would like to see locally. With the right policy framework here, there is no reason why the UK cannot catch up with Germany and other European leaders in "green" technology.

The Liberal Democrats have long led the way on climate change policy, both nationally and locally. Only last week at our Brighton conference, we have adopted a comprehensive set of policies to deliver a low carbon, and then zero carbon economy. But climate change and conserving the environment are far more important than the cut and thrust of party politics. That's why I agreed to serve on the Quality of Life Commission. Together with over 500 other independent, company and professional experts on different aspects of climate change policy, I was happy to play a very small part in helping to deliver a wide ranging, radical yet practical blueprint for urgent change.

But the real question now is will David Cameron have the political leadership and courage to stand up to the traditional Conservative right? Will he take the tough decisions needed to turn the positive recommendations in this independent report into firm Conservative policy commitments for the next General Election? On airports for example, will he agree to a hold on all airport expansion proposals as recommended in the Quality of Life report, or will he side with John Redwood and agree to more runways in the south east?

My hunch is that in the end, David Cameron will be forced to give far too much ground to the many right wing critics within his own party who just don't "get" climate change and the need for action on the environment, nor the immense opportunities that the increasing global demand for clean and green technology brings for UK innovation, manufacturing, services and exports. I do hope genuinely that I am proved wrong.

Yours sincerely,

Seb Berry

Chairman

Great Missenden, Prestwood and Heath End Liberal Democrats