Your location: Home > Publications > New Ground > No. 59

If I Were Enviroment Minister

New Ground 59
Summer 2000

New Ground asked eight leading environmentalists what they would do, if they were Environment Minister in the next Parliament. Their answers, below, give an insight into their personal environmental priorities.

Interestingly, not everyone even wanted to become Environment Minister! One of our writers would rather be Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and another has aimed even higher!

Barbara Young
Chair - English Nature...

The first priority for any environment minister worth her salt, or indeed, Chancellor or Prime Minister (think big!) must be to reform that huge perverse incentive which is agricultural subsidy.

I couldn't stand up in front of voters without some clear plans for ensuring that the £5 billion of tax-payers money that we spend on agriculture no longer results in vanishing wildlife, threatened rural communities, food that the public don't want or don't trust, and unhappy farmers.

Over the next government term, I would steadily convert 25% of damaging subsidy to rural development schemes and those for environmentally friendly farming. Payment of the remaining 75% would require farmers to adhere to some simple environmental conditions. Healthy food from a healthy countryside - that's what we need.

My second priority must be climate change measures. This would include implementation of all elements of an integrated transport strategy, specific substantial pump priming for renewable energy industries and more political courage in introducing green taxes for climate change, in thoughtful packages with incentives, regulation and voluntary agreements.

Other priorities would include a new package of marine conservation measures, to begin to tackle that vast new and unknown country that is our marine environment; measures to move us towards a no waste economy; really driving through the greening of government, to bring sustainable development to the heart of all government policy. Lots more. I'll definitely need a further term!

There comes a point when exhorting people to do things simply doesn't work. For the last three years, Michael Meacher has exhorted UK businesses to produce an annual environment report, with no noticeable effect. As the newly-appointed Environment Minister, I would introduce a Bill to compel all companies above a certain size (based on turnover) to produce an annual combined environment and social report.

What's more, the Bill would give me powers to specify the indicators against which companies would be required to report (sector by sector), with a clear understanding that if the relevant trade association for that sector would not voluntarily determine those indicators, within a year, with my Department's approval, then I'd do it for them.

As for my second priority, I somehow doubt I could pull this off without heavyweight backing, but, hand in hand with the Prime Minister and the new Secretary of State for the Regions, we would introduce a Bill to create directly-elected Regional Assemblies within a five year period. Their principal responsibility would be to deliver sustainable development in their own Region, together with the Government Office and the Regional Development Agency, which would from that point on be accountable to the Assembly.

If I were Environment Minister, the first thing I would do is listen to challenging, constructive and informed NGOs such as WWF. Having done that, my priorities would be to promote the United Kingdom as a world leader on environmental issues, and to harness the very best in business and technology so that our natural environment can be rejuvenated.

I should want the UK to continue setting the pace on climate change, and to push for modernisation of the World Trade Organisation so that we link the environment to poverty elimination programmes in developing countries. I would insist that the UK pushes for environmental agreements to be respected in future international trade rounds.

The knowledge economy presents unprecedented opportunities for business innovation in clean technologies. To help stimulate a low carbon, high value economy, I would create incentives for companies to set demanding productivity targets for energy and material use. For less visionary companies, I would introduce statutory environmental and social reporting. This would be a key step towards sustainable prosperity for the many.

A vibrant economy which promotes sustainable development needs to be complemented by a healthy natural environment. The Countryside and Rights of Way Bill aims to protect important wildlife sites - I would review the laws safeguarding our marine equivalent.

In short, I would do all I could to leave future generations a living planet which means far-sighted policies not restricted by the myopia of the electoral cycle.

The environment is one of the great cross-cutting issues facing government as it strives for a modern society. Yet it is marginalised by most of those who have the power to make a difference. So, as the UK's Environment Minister, my task for the next five years would be working with my Cabinet colleagues to ensure the environment is at the heart of the agenda across government. Three priorities would be:

1. Moving the Sustainable Development Unit to the Cabinet Office so it reports directly to the Prime Minister. The Cabinet Office is the main engine of joined-up government. It makes sense for the SDU to be here, where it is less likely to be side-lined than in its current position in DETR.

2. Working with DTI to develop a UK "green growth strategy". There are huge gains to be made for the environment and the economy by raising "environmental productivity" through new resource-efficient products and services and new technologies, such as renewables. The strategy should include productivity targets; increased funding for R&D of environmental technologies; and targeted market support to bring these developments into mainstream business practice.

3. Working with the Ministry for Agriculture to help deliver a renaissance in rural Britain. Crucial to this will be speeding up the shift in subsidies from intensive agriculture to activities which better support people and actually protect and improve the environment. Even without further change in the Common Agriculture Policy, the UK could quadruple its spending on such schemes by 2005.

I would not particularly like to be Environment Minister. Given a choice in this game of fantasy politics, I would rather be in charge of DTI. I could then support sustainable industries, instead of dirty, declining ones, and protect consumers by, for example, ensuring that chemicals in everyday products have been tested to check they are safe. Stephen Byers has begun to take DTI in this direction, but there is much more to be done.

I would also transform energy policy. Solar power could provide over two-thirds of UK electricity, according to DTI figures. Offshore wind could provide a further third, and wave power another sixth. These figures take account of cost, local environmental impacts and practicability. These sectors would also support thousands of manufacturing jobs. Yet this Government has so far failed to offer them any significant support.

I would also be the sole shareholder in BNFL, so on day one, I would order an immediate end to reprocessing and draw up a business plan based on decommissioning and dry storage. That way BNFL could safeguard its commercial future without adding to the plutonium stockpile or radioactive pollution. And I wouldn't have to keep apologising to its customers.

A key conclusion of the first Earth Summit (Stockholm, 1972) was that education holds the key to a sustainable future. Doing the right things depended on knowing how the world works, and how we humans interact with it and each other.

So how come, nearly 30 years on, this sort of knowledge is not stitched into every formal and informal educational opportunity, and is not second nature to everyone?

Before everyone piles in with loads of explanations, the first thing I'd do as Environment Minister would be to brush off all excuses, declare this continuing ignorance a national emergency, and launch a learning programme for the nation with no-one exempt and my colleagues first in line.

Next, I would tackle the collapse of public trust in political and scientific authority. There is no argument but that it is merited, yet, if we are to meet the challenge presented by the broad sustainability agenda, we need widely respected and trusted institutions of governance and justice. I welcome moves to develop an ethical foreign policy, to devolve power, and move to more transparent and consultative decision-making, but, given the urgency, it's far from enough. On most measures, the things Real World organisations campaign on are getting worse not better.

As Environment Minister, I would expect my Cabinet colleagues to support three essential policy priorities for the good of the environment, the economy, employment, democracy itself and, of course, our own general election prospects third time around.

First, to set Factor 10 targets for reducing pollution loads and increasing natural resource use efficiencies in every sector. We already recognise that CO2 emissions should fall by up to 90%. These targets would underpin industrial and fiscal strategy, ensure Britain takes only its fair share of planetary resources, and drive the environmental modernisation of the economy.

Second, to implement complementary and comprehensive green tax reforms. The Chancellor has taken useful steps in this direction. Now, we should phase in 'polluter pays' taxes in transport, energy, chemicals, agriculture, resource use and industrial investment; and respond the revenues on lower labour taxes, rewards for environmentally virtuous companies and households, and environmental services like energy conservation, public transport and waste minimisation.

Third, to enshrine environmental rights for all citizens in law. As you know, this is Party policy (see In Trust for Tomorrow). These inalienable rights would guarantee pure water, clean air, wholesome food, uncontaminated land, and tranquillity. People are more likely to 'do their bit' to save the planet when guaranteed rights which match their responsibilities.