Liberal Democrats set out ambitious spending plans to tackle the climate emergency

The Liberal Democrats have set out ambitious £100 billion spending plans to tackle the climate emergency, including generating 80% of our electricity from renewables and retrofitting all homes by 2030.

Launching their 'Our Plan to Tackle the Climate Emergency', the party's Climate Emergency spokesperson Wera Hobhouse declared that "the climate emergency is upon us and we need to take radical action now."

The plan includes the full costings of how the Liberal Democrats would spend £100 billion tackling the climate emergency and details on how they would cut greenhouse gases in every sector of the economy to achieve net-zero.

Plans in the Liberal Democrat's 'Our Plan to Tackle the Climate Emergency' include:

• Generating 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.
• Retrofitting all homes - cutting energy bills - and targeting those in fuel poverty first by 2025.
• Planting 60 million trees a year to increase UK forest cover.
• Ensuring all new cars sold are electric by 2030.
• Banning all non-essential non-recyclable single-use plastic within three years.

Commenting on the Liberal Democrats' 'Our Plan for Tackling the Climate Emergency', Liberal Democrat Candidate for Torridge and West Devon, David Chalmers said:

"Protecting the environment and tackling the climate emergency is at the core of what I and the Liberal Democrats stand for. The UK should be leading the world in tackling the climate emergency. We are the first generation to know we are destroying the environment, and the last generation with a chance to do something about it before it is too late. There is no Planet B. If we fail to act, millions of people - at home and abroad - will suffer the impacts of floods, storms, heatwaves and rising food prices.

In Devon we are seeing the impact of climate change through the summer droughts last year and the flooding this autumn. Our coastal communities are especially at risk from rising sea levels. I am particularly concerned at the erosion of the coastline in Westward Ho - which has undercut the slip way and hampered access to the beach. The refuse waste dumps are being exposed which threatens the whole Northern Devon coastline and our valuable tourist industry. The Northam Burrows are regularly flooded as the sea defences are breached.

This issue needs to be given greater priority - as the MP I would initiate a meeting with the Environment Agency, Government Departments and local authorities - County, District and Town Councils to discuss this problem - find a way forward and ensure that it maintained momentum.

The Lib Dems' environmental policies and green offer are well thought out and the most comprehensive of any of the main political parties. We are the only party dedicated to building a brighter future by tackling the environmental crises with urgent actions. We are the only party with a bold, credible and detailed plan to tackle the climate emergency as soon as possible, to put climate action at the heart of our government, and to reverse the damage we're doing to our planet"

Commenting on the Liberal Democrats' 'Our Plan for Tackling the Climate Emergency', Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for the Climate Emergency Wera Hobhouse said:

"The climate emergency is real. It's upon us and we need to take radical action now. Our children will never forgive us if we allow the climate crisis to rob them of their future. The Liberal Democrats have a fully-costed, bold plan to protect our planet now and for generations to come.

"Neither Labour nor the Tories have a real plan for the climate emergency. Their desire for Brexit means we would have less money to invest in this crisis. Brexit would leave us out in the cold internationally and unable to work cooperatively with our European partners on this global issue.

"Young people and children across the world have been crying out for politicians to take action on the climate crisis. The Liberal Democrats are listening and will make real change happen. We will build a world with clean air, clean waters, and where wildlife can flourish.

"Only the Liberal Democrats have a realistic but radical plan to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2045. A Liberal Democrat government will generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030, plant 60 million trees a year and invest £100 billion in tackling the climate emergency to build a brighter future for our planet."