Given the next government could source a mosaic of policies from more than one party, it is important to consider in what manner smaller parties would seek to influence any future coalition or minority government.
As their name might infer, the Green Party is enthusiastic about encouraging greater generation of low carbon energies and energy efficiency. Their manifesto declares their desire for a drop in energy consumption – a reduction of 33 percent by 2020. They would also seek to invest £35 billion pounds in renewable energy across the duration of the next parliament.
This is laudable for the impact such efforts would have on reducing carbon emissions and when considered in the light of rapidly falling renewable energy costs, would likely deliver far more capacity than might be at first imagined.
The Green Party are a benevolent force with regard to developing a positive energy system, more reliant on renewables. The extent to which the Green Party will be able to realise this ambition is far less certain given they are likely to secure but a few MPs at best on their current polling. However, they do have a close relationship with the SNP and are likely to work closely with them in any situation where the latter sends a sizable block of MPs south
Judgement day
Battling with the Greens for the votes of the environmentally conscious are the Liberal Democrats, junior players in the last government. When it comes to green energy, Ed Davey’s work as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has been commendable. He has sought to secure the utilisation of low-carbon technologies in the face of right wing criticism. The Liberal Democrats have delivered some notable wins in this regard, though certainly not everything to be desired- but clearly the party considers their record is one they can strongly defend. This confidence is reflected in their electoral strategy – resulting in a manifesto with many praiseworthy aspects from an environmental perspective. The Liberals will likely be motivated both by principle and necessity in this regard. They seek to position themselves as an experienced, realistic and pragmatic party better positioned to deliver the green economy than even the Green Party with whom they compete for votes.
Globally, the low-carbon economy is the future and the Liberal Democrats certainly have set out their strategy to secure the United Kingdom’s position as a green champion in their manifesto.
Positive elements of the Liberal Democrat’s electoral proposition include a commitment to make saving energy a top infrastructure priority, using council tax to stimulate efficiency upgrades and setting out the long-term ambition for every household to be a ‘C’ Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating by 2035. The Liberal Democrats’ breadth of ambition is useful.
Perhaps with five years’ experience as a junior coalition partner, they will be strongly placed to drive forward their objectives following the election – as long as the electoral arithmetic results in a favourable situation for the pale yellows.