Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Crawley, Henry Smith, has reiterated his support for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans to further protect our environment, and has called for the leadership of Labour-run Crawley Borough Council to do more locally to help our planet.
A majority Conservative Government will ensure support for clean industries, work to triple tree planting, and support the protection and restoration of our oceans.
Henry said;
“When it comes to our environment; I believe that actions speak louder than words. While Jeremy Corbyn may move on to other issues, this is a vital subject which Boris Johnson, the Conservative Party and I are committed to addressing further.
“Earlier this year, the UK became the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero by 2050, committing to end our contribution to climate change. This target date, which is feasible but very ambitious, was based on advice from the independent expert Committee on Climate Change.
“Between 1990 and 2017, the UK reduced its emissions by 42 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds. This means that we have on a per-capita basis both reduced emissions and grown our economy faster than any other G7 nation. Since 2010, the UK has reduced emissions by 23 per cent.
"Indeed, the UK reduced the carbon intensity of our economy faster than any other G20 country since 2000, however this is no time for complacency.”
With a majority in Parliament the Conservatives will protect and enhance our countryside with a new £640 million Nature for Climate Fund for England, and work with the devolved administrations to triple UK tree planting rates and restore our peatland.
The £640 million Fund will help leave our environment in a better condition for the next generation. It will be used to dramatically increase tree-planting rates in England with more research into the most appropriate species to plant across the country, a scaling up of the nursery sector to grow the saplings, new partnerships with landowners, and increased planting rates on sites.
A £500 million Blue Planet Fund will support the protection and restoration of our oceans. Urgent action is needed to tackle plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change, which are causing significant harm to the world’s marine environments and putting certain species at risk of extinction.
To combat this a majority Conservative Government will establish a significant new Blue Planet Fund to help protect our oceans, sharing our world-leading expertise to support developing countries to protect previous marine habitats and restore their potential to tackle climate change. Leaving the EU is a defining opportunity for the UK to take ambitious action at home and abroad to protect our natural environment for future generations.
The Conservatives are also committed to ensuring that everyone in England and Wales is within 30 miles of an electric vehicle chargepoint, so people do not need to worry about running out of charge. A majority Conservative Government will also increase the UK’s commitment to offshore wind, invest in new carbon capture technologies and help energy-intensive industries to decarbonise.
Henry welcomed further legislative proposals announced by the Conservatives, commenting;
“The Conservatives’ Environment Bill will guarantee that we will protect and restore our natural environment after leaving the EU; conservation has always been at the very heart of conservatism.
“A majority Conservative Government will set up a new independent Office for Environmental Protection and introduce our own legal targets, including for air quality.
“The UK will continue to lead the world in tackling plastics pollution, both in the UK and internationally, and will introduce a new levy to increase the proportion of recyclable plastics in packaging. I welcome proposals to introduce extended producer responsibility, ensuring producers pay the full costs of dealing with the waste they produce, and boost domestic recycling.
“The exporting of plastic waste to non-OECD countries will be banned, consulting with industry, NGOs and local councils on the date by which this should be achieved.
“The UK will continue to tackle the waste and carelessness that destroys our natural environment and kills marine life. A majority Conservative Government will increase penalties for fly-tipping, make those on community sentences clean up their parks and streets, and introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass.
“UK work on the global stage will continue – this country will proudly host the UN climate change summit next year – and people across Crawley, myself included, are playing their part in reducing waste in their own households.
“There is a role for local authorities, however, and I have continued to call out Crawley Borough Council who have been caught lacking in terms of tackling litter locally and I want to see them step up to help protect our planet. I urge their leadership to follow Boris Johnson’s work in this area.
“The environment must give serious consideration in infrastructure and building projects. The Conservatives support the creation of new kinds of homes that have low energy bills and which support our environmental targets and a majority Conservative Government will expect all new streets to be lined with trees.”
Henry Smith
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Crawley
As Parliament has now been dissolved there are no MPs until after the 12th December 2019 General Election.
Phone: 01293 934554
Email: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/HenrySmith4Crawley
www.twitter.com/HenrySmithUK
www.youtube.com/HenrySmithMP
Promoted and published by Tom Liddiard, on behalf of Henry Smith, both of Crawley Business Centre, Stephenson Way, Three Bridges, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1TN.
