Anyway, on with the greenery. LibDem commitments are in red, my comments in black.
ENERGY
action to drive forward Scotland as a world leader in the renewable energy sector, maximising the benefits of Scotland’s natural assets and skilled workforce to create thousands of new green jobs, cut emissions and put us on course towards our goal of a zero-carbon Scotland, and recognise Aberdeen as a global energy hub.
Some meaningless blah to start off with, but what's this? Aberdeen as a global energy hub? I thought Orkney was the place to be for tidal and wave, and Fife was the place to be for offshore wind. What does that leave Aberdeen, the oil they already have?
Continue to fund research and development into renewable energy technology, particularly wave and tidal power, in addition to the Saltire Prize
I wonder if anyone else (apart from the SNP) will mention the Saltire Prize, or whether it will be quietly dropped if another party gains office.
Make sure that forest waste can be used to generate electricity and heat for the local community where appropriate
This is a commitment to biomass power plants, just like the one they're opposing in Leith. Consistent, then.
Maximise the potential of the new Renewable Heat Incentive to help revolutionise the way heat is generated and used in our homes and businesses, supporting a shift away from fossil fuel-based options towards low carbon alternatives. These include air and ground source heat pumps at domestic level, and Combined Heat and Power or a form of network heating in those communities where it makes sense. We will work towards an ambitious target to generate 20 per cent of Scotland’s heat requirements from these sources by 2020
Encourage the use of feed-in tariffs to benefit people who install small-scale renewable electricity generation and change planning regulations to support these and renewable heat measures in homes and businesses
Until the UK government changes the rules on feed-in tariffs again.
Provide new support to the companies developing marine, hydro and biomass renewable energy technologies and continue to seek investment in Scotland’s ports and harbours to support the offshore renewable industry.
There's that darned biomass again!
Set a target for Scotland to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland's electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2025
The wording there is quite important, as it's something that the SNP use as well. They won't produce 100% of Scotland's energy from renewables, they'll produce the equivalent of 100%. That means that they'll still have coal and nuclear plants producing power, and will sell the surplus energy.
Continue to oppose the construction of new nuclear power plants in Scotland
But what about extending the life of the existing plants?
Support the development of carbon capture and storage technology for use on existing power stations and as a potential avenue for export. We do not see the need for a new coal fired power station at Hunterston.
Support community ownership of renewable energy to allow groups, co-operatives and local authorities to provide energy services through local energy networks, such as small-scale renewable and district heating schemes
Work with the UK Government to ensure initiatives on transmission charging and electricity market reform reflect the specific needs of Scottish consumers and producers
Hopefully they can use their, ahem, "influence" in the UK government on transmission charges as the SNP have got nowhere on the issue in the last four years - National Grid intend to charge for producing electricity depending on how far from civilisation you are. This hurts renewable energy providers, by their very nature far from major conurbations.
TRANSPORT
Devote a strand of transport infrastructure planning to support export routes from Scotland, including cross-border roads
Build roads! Everyone likes roads!
Remove a Scottish disadvantage by making sure that the carbon impact of products is included as a serious factor in contracts. Putting sustainability at the heart of public procurement will help generate new markets and supply chains for low carbon products.
Bring forward a strategy on electric and low carbon vehicles, working with the UK Government and partners to roll out the supporting infrastructure and make owning an electric car a realistic ambition
Commit to the public sector procurement of electric or low carbon vehicles as existing vehicles reach end of life
Develop a Scotland-wide public transport smart card, covering a range of operators, routes and fare structures, to improve the convenience of using public transport
I've been saying lately that this is what the Scottish Entitlement Card should have been and the Government missed a trick when it was introduced. In saying that, the LibDems, like their Tory brethren, want to increase the age at which you can get free travel to 65.
Promote smarter travel choices to reduce reliance on the private car. These include supporting public transport and car clubs, providing technology for new working practices such as teleworking and introducing travel plans into schools and workplaces
Increase the proportion of the transport budget spent on sustainable and active travel measures, to help double the number of short journeys by foot and cycle
We will use the borrowing powers of the new Scotland Act as a way of paying for large-scale infrastructure like the new Forth Crossing without cancelling every other sizeable project.
Build Roads! Everyone likes roads!
Develop a fully-costed and timetabled plan to dual the A9 to Inverness
Make strategic investments to improve road safety and quality, for example taking forward plans to improve the A82, A83 and A96 roads
Build Roads! Everyone likes roads!
Improve commuter transport outside major cities and make public transport a more convenient option even in rural areas, for example by opening a new station at Conon for Inverness and reopening Kintore station as the first step towards the Aberdeen Crossrail
Make Scotland’s trains fit for purpose by ensuring that future franchise agreements for Scotrail include the provision of better rolling stock for the long distance routes from the central belt to Inverness and Aberdeen, improved service and the provision of reliable 3G mobile phone coverage and free wi-fi. We will give the security and stability of longer contracts to help this happen
Again with the longer franchise, just like the Tories. Although it's nice to see them throw the bone of proper intercity trains between the Scottish cities.
Maintain a flexible Freight Facilities Grant scheme as part of efforts to promote rail freight as an alternative to road haulage.
Restore the Bus Route Development Scheme with targeted approaches, for example services at major acute hospitals and centres of employment
Continue to invest in lifeline ferry links serving Scotland’s islands and coastal communities and give a fair deal on ferry fares to all of our islands
support partnership agreements between transport authorities and farmers to keep Scotland’s roads open during winter weather
This is straight from a recent episode of Top Gear, where they adapted a combine harvester into a snow-clearing machine!
FOOD
Insist that UK or Scottish standards for animal welfare are set down in specifications.
Establish a presumption in favour of Fair Trade products in public contracts.
Put an emphasis on local food procurement, including by requiring public bodies to make public the provenance of food procured.
I like the "presumption in favour of Fair Trade products". That is as it should be, particularly when using taxpayer's money.
Support measures to address the environmental and economic madness of fish discards, while recognising the complexity of the problem and engaging the industry fully throughout
Ensure decisions about the management of fisheries are based on the best available science, supporting efforts to promote greater collaboration between industry and scientists so that the data gathered is as up to date as possible
ENVIRONMENT, EMISSIONS & WASTE
Review the inspection functions of SEPA and consider if these can be transferred to local government to help combine inspections.
Retain Scotland’s forests in public ownership and seek additional and innovative joint ventures for our great forests
Using planning regulations to create an innovative Home On The Farm scheme for more affordable homes from disused and underused farm buildings, giving farmers a new income, ensuring farm succession and providing homes for local people
...and allowing developers to build on Green Belt land when regulations previously prevented them from doing so.
Give fairer prices for producers by supporting efforts to break the monopoly power of the supermarkets
I also seem to recall the LibDems opposing the SNP's 'Supermarket Tax'. Again, a lack of consistency.
Allocate £250 million...to accelerate massively the insulation of homes and buildings in Scotland
Take forward new universal home insulation schemes, to be run by local authorities in partnership with other local organisations, to extend both subsidised and free-for-all energy efficiency measures to more households across the country
Start a programme for insulation, energy saving and low-carbon energy in every public building to cut future energy spending
This is the LibDems trying to steal the Scottish Greens' thunder, although they seem to stop short of offering free insulation for everyone as the Greens have pledged. Still, any extra money into energy efficiency is welcome.
Extend the support available to small and medium sized businesses and private sector landlords who are looking to replace old and inefficient technology or install energy efficiency measures
Through Scotland’s colleges, support a new generation of apprentices to become experts in installing insulation and energy-efficient systems in homes and business premises.
Capitalise on the UK Government’s Green Deal scheme, which presents a huge opportunity for Scotland to lever in funding for substantial new action on energy efficiency and has the potential to support 10,000 Scottish jobs.
We will work closely with the UK Government to ensure that Scottish households and businesses pay back the cost of energy efficiency improvements through savings on their energy bills, reducing or removing up-front costs
I seem to recall this being widely promised by all parties last year - pay the costs of energy efficiencies through your bills. Haven't seen it materialise, though.
Set a requirement for new-build homes and non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon by 2016. We will begin work towards the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards for existing domestic and non-domestic buildings from 2015
Hmm, the UK government changed the goalposts on what constitutes a "zero-carbon" home recently rendering this commitment completely meaningless.
Prepare a pipeline of projects for the Green Investment Bank so that Scotland can be among the first to benefit when the Bank becomes operational. We will continue to campaign for the Bank to be located in Scotland. We will begin to draw down the fossil fuel levy funds accumulated – but unspent – by previous UK governments so that the funds can be put to use on Scottish projects
There's no commitment there to use the fossil fuel levy funds on renewables or energy efficiency schemes, so I imagine they'll be used to build the roads they have already stated in the manifesto that they want.
action to restore and protect Scotland’s valuable peatlands and woodlands and a sensible siting strategy for new renewable energy developments
Renew efforts to meet the 2020 biodiversity target, including by rewarding environmental protection by the farming industry to achieve a healthy countryside that produces food sustainably, is rich in wildlife and sustains rural businesses.
Within a year, set out a comprehensive waste prevention programme to cover household, commercial, packaging and industrial sectors in order to cut waste volumes in half by 2020
Meet the targets of the EU Landfill Directive to reduce biodegradable municipal waste to landfill
Bring forward a strategy for on-street recycling across the country, making it easier to use and more consistent across local authority areas, and take further steps to reduce the use of plastic bags
Standardisation across Scotland of what can be recycled and how is sorely needed.
Support the development of a network of anaerobic digestion facilities to process organic waste and use the gas captured to generate power in the local area.
Ensure that proposals for waste incinerators and large-scale biomass plants are subject to close scrutiny and robust regulation in order to protect local communities
*Cough* Biomass again *cough*
And finally, this has nothing to do with Green but I liked the image of politicians getting tasered. I'm sure that's what they mean, isn't it?
Give Scottish ministers a defined interest in potentially lethal police equipment such as Tasers
OVERALL
I know it's easy to say that the Liberal Democrats try to be all things to all people, but reading their manifesto really brings that home. They oppose biomass plants in the community but promote them in the manifesto. They want to build new roads while saying they will reduce carbon emissions. They'll keep coal plants while selling our renewable energy abroad.
Oh, and taking one of their manifesto commitments from an episode of Top Gear really takes the biscuit!
2 comments:
Labour's manifesto mentions the Saltire
Yes, I've acknowledged that when I look at the Labour manifesto.
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