In this general election update, Theresa Villiers, parliamentary candidate for Chipping Barnet, commits to action to restore nature nature, address climate change, and protect our environment:
“Throughout my years in elected office, I have supported environmental causes, both locally and nationally.
Switching to clean home-produced energy without hitting family finances
Cleaning up our energy generation system has many benefits. A shift to renewable electricity generation makes us less dependent on fossil fuels from unstable areas of the world, as the price shock caused by the Ukraine war showed us.
Dangerous climate change is also a reality, and we need to act. The UK was the first major developed economy to legislate for net zero; and I voted for that measure.
But the Conservatives recognise that we will only achieve these vital environmental goals if we have public support. We must deliver them without imposing excessive costs on household budgets. That is why we postponed the deadline for ending the sale of petrol and diesel cars, cancelled an obligation to make costly changes to rental properties, and scrapped the proposal that people would be forced to replace their gas heating boilers. Instead, we are offering help to move to greener more sustainable choices. We will not introduce new green levies or charges. This is a commitment in our manifesto.
Under the Conservatives, this country has made big progress on climate change. We are the first country to halve our emissions, cutting them faster than any other G7 economy. Nearly 50% of our energy now comes from renewables, up from just 7% under the last Labour Government. Our offshore wind sector is one of the largest and most successful in the world. And we have taken a leading role on the shift away from coal – this fuel now accounts for only around 1 per cent of the UK’s electricity mix, compared with 40 per cent when we returned to office.
Our ‘Powering Up Britain’ plan will deliver further progress. It aims to ensure that Britain has among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe by 2035; move us towards energy independence through a potential doubling of Britain’s electricity generation capacity by the late 2030s.
Our COP26 presidency was hailed around the world as a significant success, securing commitments which now mean that over 90% of global GDP is covered by a net zero target.
Nature conservation and recovery
If I am re-elected as your MP I will have a strong focus on restoring and conserving nature. This is an important way to help deliver our net zero commitment. But it also a crucial goal in its own right. There has been a disastrous loss in biodiversity and habitats over recent decades and action is needed to reverse that.
As I have said in Parliament, there can be few things more important for any MP than seeking to leave the natural environment in a better state than we found it. This has been a defining theme of my time in political office. That has included a focus on local issues and protecting the green belt (for further information on this, see my article here). But I have also been part of the national debate on this issue.
The landmark Environment Act 2021, which I introduced to the House of Commons during my time as Environment Secretary, creates a framework for legally binding targets to clean up the country’s air, restore natural habitats, increase biodiversity, reduce waste and make better use of our resources.
It makes provision for a ban on certain single use plastics; simpler and easier recycling; a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; powers to crack down on litter, flytipping and waste crime; and making producers of plastic packaging pay the cost of disposal of their products.
As a result of that legislation, the Government has set a target to halt the decline in species by 2030. The Act also requires new developments to improve or create habitats for nature and contains measures to ensure companies make sure their supply chains do not violate laws on illegal deforestation overseas.
As Environment Secretary, I also brought forward legislation to replace the EU’s discredited Common Agriculture Policy with a new system of agricultural support payments which reward farmers for delivering environmental improvements. I believe that this is one of the most important environmental reforms for decades. It creates a permanent income stream for projects to make space for nature in farming and I hope it will play major role in restoration of biodiversity.
I also secured a commitment in the 2019 Conservative manifesto to a £650m Nature for Climate Fund which is supporting projects such as peatland restoration and tree planting. This is retained in the manifesto for this election.
In Parliament, I have spoken up on the importance of trees and tree planting many times. Trees enhance our environment, our air quality and our happiness and wellbeing. I have been an enthusiastic member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Woods and Trees, supported by the Woodland Trust. This group lobbied successfully for improved protection in the planning system for ancient woods and trees.
The 2024 Conservative manifesto promises to remove red tape which is unnecessarily holding back tree planting, something I had raised in Parliament.
The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs has set a statutory target to have at least 16.5 per cent tree and woodland cover by 2050 to help tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis. In addition, through schemes such as the Urban Tree Challenge Fund, Community Forests and Woodland Creation Partnerships, thousands of trees have been planted close to where people live.
Landscape recovery projects have been introduced which will sustainably manage more than 20,000 hectares of woodland and create over 7,000 hectares of new woodland. The new Environmental Land Management schemes introduced in farming (referred to above) are also helping get more trees planted.
Spending time outdoors in nature can significantly benefit our health and wellbeing, especially for our children. The Government’s Woodland Access Implementation Plan therefore sets out ambitions from improving access to our woodlands through offering funding to landowners and land managers to create or maintain responsible access to trees and woodlands through existing land management schemes.
The UK helps fund programmes around the world to protect nature and address climate change. Whilst in Government, I lobbied to ensure that this was part of our overseas development spending.
Finally, during the final weeks of the last Parliament, I tabled a Ten Minute Rule Bill on switching to peat-free compost.
If I am re-elected, I will back measures to protect nature, switch to clean energy and protect our local environment here in Barnet. Please give me your support on 4th July."
Digital imprint: Promoted by Theresa Villiers of 163 High Street, Barnet, EN5 5SU.
