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The UK has spoken and has elected a Labour government. Their manifesto, highlighting the climate and nature crisis as the greatest long-term global challenge, poses several key strategies that they will adopt to address these critical issues.
So, here's a brief summary of the plans that Labour has so far set out for environmental and animal welfare reforms.
Clean Energy Revolution
One of the cornerstone promises of Labour’s manifesto is their commitment to achieving clean energy by 2030. Labour plans to:
- Double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind: These ambitious targets aim to harness the UK's natural advantages, such as its long coastline and high winds, to create a robust and sustainable energy infrastructure.
- Invest in new technologies: The government will put significant resources into carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, marine energy, and long-term energy storage solutions.
Energy Independence and Security
Labour’s strategy includes the establishment of a new Energy Independence Act and the creation of Great British Energy, a publicly-owned company aimed at driving investment in clean, home-grown energy production. This approach is designed to:
- Secure long-term energy supply: By extending the lifespan of existing nuclear plants and investing in new ones, such as Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, Labour aims to ensure a stable energy supply.
- Transition responsibly from fossil fuels: While managing existing oil and gas fields, Labour plans to phase out new licenses for exploration and production, focusing instead on sustainable energy sources.
Tackling Nature and Biodiversity Crises
Labour’s manifesto places a strong emphasis on addressing the UK’s nature emergency. The party claims that they plan to take decisive actions to protect and enhance the natural environment:
- Combat pollution: Stricter regulations will be imposed on water companies to prevent illegal sewage dumping, with severe penalties for violations.
- Promote biodiversity: Initiatives such as creating new National River Walks, establishing National Forests, and expanding nature-rich habitats like wetlands and peat bogs will help preserve and enhance the UK's natural landscapes.
- Support British farmers: Labour will set targets for locally produced food in the public sector, introduce a land-use framework, and work to end cruel, ineffective practices like the badger cull.
Animal Welfare
In their manifesto, Labour has made several promises to improve animal welfare, including:
Prohibiting the use of snare traps.
Closing all loopholes in the Hunting Act 2004, such as trail hunting, to effectively ban hunting for good.
Banning the import of hunting trophies.
Working to end puppy farming and smuggling.
Collaborating with scientists, industry, and civil society to phase out animal testing.
That being said, there are several other key issues that Labour haven't addressed, that they definitely should be addressing. For example, banning greyhound racing, transitioning away from intensive animal agriculture to more sustainable farming practices, and working with animal shelters across the country to ease the burden of the current rescue crisis.
Conclusion
Labour has set out some ambitious goals and pledges in their manifesto, now that they have been elected, it's time for them to make good on those promises. A labour government could have the potential to be transformative for the environment and for animal welfare, after all - several parties (naming no names) didn't even mention any of these issues in their manifestos, which was beyond disappointing.
So, as activists and advocates, we need to make sure we keep the pressure on, keep our voices loud, and ensure that the above promises remain on the government's agenda and become policy in the near future.
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