Climate change is the greatest danger we face. It threatens communities across the globe, our food and water security, our health, and the survival of innumerable species. Action is needed now. The UK should provide global leadership on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and moving átowards circular economies, and encourage other countries to keep pace with us on this desperately needed journey.
In the UK, the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions are powering and heating our buildings, and travel by motor vehicles and planes. Labour has a plan to deliver zero carbon energy by 2030. We will establish Great British Energy and implement our Warm Homes Plan for badly insulated houses, which will not only slash carbon emissions but will also drive down energy bills by hundreds of pounds a year. Labour will not issue more North Sea oil and gas licences and will raise money to support our clean energy plan by closing loopholes in the windfall taxes on oil and gas companies.
Through our automotive sector plan, Labour will reinstate the phase-out date of 2030 for new cars with internal combustion engines, and will accelerate the roll-out of charging points to give people the confidence to go electric.
Labour will also improve public transport and make roads safer for cyclists, while recognising that cars are still the most popular form of travel and that people need the incentive of alternative, more sustainable connectivity to move away from motor vehicles.
We will bring our railways back into public ownership under Great British Railways and deliver a unified system providing an affordable, high-quality and efficient service for passengers. Locally, I fully support the plans for a new station at Grove. To improve bus services, we will permit councils to franchise local bus services, giving local communities control over routes and schedules.
Another important piece of the puzzle is capturing carbon from the atmosphere. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by planting trees, with the added benefit that we can also increase biodiversity and protect our declining native species. We will do this by establishing three new national forests in England. We will work with communities and businesses to enhance and expand natural habitats, including our rivers.
Wallingford Beach was recently made a bathing water site, but we want this for all our waterways. We will put failing water companies into special measures, block payments to executives of companies which pollute our waters, and bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
One of the most important things we can do in our constituency is to incentivise and empower farmers to manage their land to improve biodiversity and draw down carbon, whilst also continuing to grow high quality food at decent prices. Labour will introduce a land-use framework which will help manage conflicting demands on land in England, and will make environmental land management schemes work for farmers and for nature. Labour has also committed to a trade strategy which will promote the highest food production standards.
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