Jean Lambert Green MEP for London said, "We hear much rhetoric from the other parties on their green credentials but when it cuts to the chase, it’s all greenwash. They just don’t perform. The results speak for themselves."
The Green Party recently scored more points than the other parties added together in recent Friends of the Earth Survey on the environmental platform for the European elections.
The responses are outlined below.
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European Parliament elections, 2004Party positions on Chemicals
Does your party support an amendment to the REACH legislation that ensures the "substitution principle" is a legal requirement?
Conservative Party No response received.
Green Party of England and Wales The Green Party wholeheartedly supports Greenpeace’s chemicals campaign.
Green Party policies seek to further the protection of human health and well-being while respecting other species and ecosystems. Protecting people, other species and the environment are key priorities for us, and our economic policies are carefully designed to tackle the problems caused by inappropriate, unhealthy or unsustainable technology or development.
Where chemical testing is concerned, our first priority is the precautionary principle and our second is to ensure thorough and effective safety-testing. But we want all chemical testing to be carried out through a non-animal test strategy, so that chemicals can be properly safety-tested without perpetuating the suffering of animals in the vivisection industry.
Green Party of Scotland Yes, we would certainly support such an amendment. Indeed Eleanor Scott MSP has called for the implementation of the ‘substitution principle’ in the Scottish Parliament. Meanwhile Green MEPs have been fighting hard to resist industry lobbying, and to ensure that public protection is put before private profit. More info on the Scottish Green Party position on REACH and toxic chemicals is available here: Labour Party No response receivedLiberal Democrats No response received
European Parliament elections, 2004Party positions on Ancient ForestsDo you support the introduction of legislation prohibiting the import into the EU of illegal forest products?
Conservative Party No response received.
Green Party of England and Wales Yes, unequivocally. In fact we would go further, and implement major reforestation plans in the UK, and encourage the same where appropriate in other EU countries, with the aim (amongst other things) of establishing a long-term supply of native timber which would render such imports obsolete – thus tackling the problem through positive economic development as well as through regulation.
We would also add that we want much logging that is currently legal to stop. Clear-cutting of temperate rainforests, for example, is devastating some countries’ natural environment. We would wish to implement a comprehensive strategy for replacing or avoiding such imports, eg through an expanded and sustainable domestic timber industry, and through recycling policies that would reduce demand for timber products where possible.
Green Party of Scotland Yes – we would actively support the introduction of such legislation. We would also press for major reforestation in the UK, and encourage the same in other EU countries, with the aim (amongst other things) of establishing a long-term supply of native timber which would render such imports obsolete – thus tackling the problem through positive economic development as well as through regulation.
We would also add that we want much logging that is currently legal to stop. Clear-cutting of temperate rainforests, for example, is devastating some countries’ natural environment. We would wish to implement a comprehensive strategy for replacing or avoiding such imports, eg through an expanded and sustainable domestic timber industry, and through recycling policies that would reduce demand for timber products.
Labour Party No response received
Liberal Democrats No response received
European Parliament elections, 2004Party positions on ClimateWill you strive to reform EU energy policy (including the financial flows within or originating from the EU) so as to secure a rapid shift away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy and towards clean renewable energy sources and energy efficiency?
Conservative Party No response received.
Green Party of England and Wales Yes. We believe that as well as posing an unacceptable threat of species extinction, climate change is also the gravest single threat to the world’s economy and to world stability as it is likely to provoke more frequent and more severe extreme weather events, widespread floods, droughts and other ‘natural’ disasters, leading to famines, refugee crises, civil unrest and even wars.
The Green Party believes that 60% global CO2 reductions must be made (compared with 1990 levels) to avert the worst consequences of climate change. We follow the ‘contraction & converge’ model which we believe will be the most equitable way of achieving these reductions while allowing reasonable development in poorer countries.
We believe the UK, as a high-polluting country with a longer history than most of unsustainable use of fossil fuels, must achieve CO2 reductions of 90% by 2050. We believe this is possible and we believe the policies needed to bring it about will have tremendous benefits in social and economic terms, including health improvements as pollution is slashed; stable, sustainable employment; an economy freed from the cyclical shocks associated with oil-dependency; much better public transport; an end to fuel poverty through energy conservation measures, and so on.
The Green Party has comprehensive policies for dealing with climate change. On the international stage we must go beyond Kyoto – a useful framework for agreement, but currently with inadequate targets. We want to set an example that will demonstrate the benefits of the Green industrial revolution, and inspire other countries to make similar changes. We want free transfer of relevant technology to poorer countries, to help them more easily pursue a path of truly sustainable development.
At the European Parliament level we will take every opportunity to help reduce fossil fuel use and to encourage benign alternatives. Such efforts will cross many policy areas (not least transport and trade, domestic and industrial energy conservation, non-nuclear renewable energy production, emissions-reducing Zero Waste policies and so on) and also apply at the various levels of government.
For example, our transport policy includes challenging EU encouragement of roadbuilding and airport expansions while urging higher road fuel taxes EU-wide and the introduction of EU-wide aviation fuel tax; meanwhile our national level policy reinforces this, by eg showing how to redirect the ï¾£30 billion earmarked for the national roadbuilding programme into measures which, amongst other benefits, will drastically reduce traffic pollution; Green Party peer Lord Beaumont of Whitley recently piloted the extremely radical Air Traffic Emissions Reduction Bill through the House of Lords; Greens at local level and in the London Assembly have been proposing policies for reducing air traffic; and our local election policies include local transport plans, HGV reduction plans, Safe Routes to School programmes, rail regeneration plans, all of which together could comfortably reduce road traffic by 20% within 10 years, which we believe could translate into a 30% CO2 reduction from traffic during that time.
We have a similar approach to non-nuclear renewable energy, where not only do we want massive EU and UK government investment, but we have local election policies calculated to reduce CO2 emissions through practical energy conservation and production measures. This year, for example, we are proposing a 40-point Smart Energy strategy for every local authority, which would complement the policies we advocate at regional, national and EU level.
The Green Party is the only party with a thorough understanding of this issue, a vision for how to handle it, and the political will to see it through.
Green Party of Scotland Greens believe that a European strategy for energy should have reduced energy consumption and increased efficiency at its core, encompass all forms of renewable energy, and ensure a central place for public participation in energy policy development. The Scottish Green Party is the only party fully committed to an environmentally sustainable energy strategy, and to the rights of local communities in the implementation of energy policy.
European Greens have already worked hard to strengthen EU legislation, including the Landfill Directive, Waste Incineration Directive, Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Directive and Packaging Directive, but more still needs to be done.
Among the election pledges in our manifesto are that Scottish Green MEPs will join other European Greens to:
Cut energy and resource consumption by improving public transport and investing in renewable energy and energy conservation. Improve energy efficiency of new buildings and existing housing stock, end fuel poverty and devise higher energy efficiency standards and labelling for electrical appliances. Phase in renewables by promoting the integrated development of wind, solar, wave and tidal energy sources, and establish better mechanisms to scrutinise environmental impact assessments made on these technologies, aiming for a target of 25% of total energy consumption to come from renewables by 2020. Ensure that all environmental impact assessments include an energy audit for the construction and life-time use of the development. Phase out nuclear power and abolish the Euratom treaty for the expansion of nuclear power. Labour Party No response received
Liberal Democrats No response received
NOTES TO EDITORS
· Darren Johnson is 38 and was selected as the Green Party‮s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
· The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
· Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
· Jean Lambert is London’s Green Member of the European Parliament and she is No 1 on the list for the London Green Party. Her website is www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
· Green Party Assembly Members are Cllr. Darren Johnson AM, Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM
· Biographies for all candidates are available from London Press Officer, Penny Kemp 07711 760692 or penny.kemp@virgin.net
· Published and promoted by Chris Cotton on behalf of London Green Party both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ
· Printed by Penny Kemp, Press Officer on behalf of London Green Party at 1a Waterlow Rd, London N19 5NJ
Further information, interviews:
Penny Kemp 07711 760692
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