Ben Caldecott is a founding director of the Conservative Environment Network.
Our new coalition Government has an unprecedented environmental responsibility. On every front, from improving the energy efficiency of our homes to protecting the biodiversity of our countryside, urgent action will be required. David Cameron's long standing support of environmental policies, as well as a positive and constructive relationship with the Liberal Democrats, means that this Government has a real chance of translating bold words into necessary environmental action.
This is a prize worth fighting for. Decisive action in the national interest to tackle the great environmental problems of our age cannot wait any longer. Fortunately, our new Government has proposed many of the policies required to deliver a step change. For example: reforming our energy markets to enable greater investment, establishing a Green Investment Bank, creating a conservation credits scheme, introducing a carbon tax, reforming air passenger duty, preventing airport expansion, new energy efficiency financing, planning for high-speed rail, and promising to develop clean coal. Together this package could dramatically improve our quality of life, whilst also positively contributing to global efforts to tackle climate change and improve biodiversity conservation.
To be truly transformational, however, it will be critical for environmental issues to be imbedded in every aspect of policy making. At present it's still the preserve of officials and advisers in departments such as DECC and DEFRA, whereas it must become a fundamental part of policy appraisal and evaluation throughout every level of local and central government. In some ways this is easy to achieve: simply change policy guidance and training for civil servants. But we can go further, for example, by adopting John Gummer's idea of a Chief Environment Secretary to the Treasury who would be responsible for ensuring that all departments meet their carbon budgets and other environmental commitments. In addition, we should ensure that key departments, especially the Cabinet Office and No. 10, have advisers making sure that environmental objectives are properly factored into the development and implementation of policy across government. These straightforward institutional reforms, complementing existing policy priorities, could make it much easier for this Government to deliver a better and greener future.
