MAIN CONFERENCE HALLF20 Making the Environment Our Business (Industrial Pollution Policy Paper)
MAIN CONFERENCE HALL
F20 Making the Environment Our Business (Industrial Pollution
Policy Paper)
Conference welcomes Policy Paper 29, Making the Environment
Our Business, as a statement of Party policy on improving the
environmental performance of UK business and industry.
Conference endorses in particular:
1 The promotion of greater efficiency by UK business and industry
by:
a) The initiation of a large scale National Eco-Efficiency
Programme, to help companies to undertake a systematic process of
waste minimisation.
b) The encouragement of major corporations to build environmental
criteria into purchasing policies, and the commitment that all
government departments shall be required to do likewise.
c) The creation of a national waste exchange programme.
2 Further progress in the introduction of positive environmental
taxation measures by:
a) A significant increase in landfill tax rates, with revenue
channelled back into local authorities for investment in waste
reduction and recycling schemes.
b) The introduction of an incineration tax and a cap on the
approval of new incineration capacity to prevent a large-scale
switch from landfill to incineration.
3 Building a robust regulatory framework for business and
industry by:
a) The increase in democratic accountability of the Environment
Agency through a formal structure of Local Advisory Committees.
b) An increase in funding for the Agency, sufficient to provide
more effective scrutiny of licensed companies,
c) The creation of a Business Efficiency Unit as an internal
Agency department.
d) A broad range of well-presented environmental information
available by right to the general public.
4 Further reduce the problems caused by industrial waste by:
a) Adopting a target of zero industrial waste to landfill within
40 years, with a shorter term target of a 60% reduction within 15
years.
b) Giving landfill operators a new duty to ensure compliance with
Duty of Care.
c) Moving where possible to the phasing out of bio-accumulative
and/or persistent chemicals.
Mover of motion: 20 minutes; other speakers: 5 minutes.
Norman Baker MP
Cllr Ann Shaw - South West Hertfordshire
Mark Rainer - Huntingdon
Vincent Cable MP - Twickenham
Graham Watson - MEP Somerton and Frome
Keith Melton - Cleethorpes
Baldev Sharma - Harrow
Cllr Jayne Marks - Guildford
Cllr Peter Harris - Newark
Mallen Baker - Chair, Industrial Pollution Working Group
Motion: Nem Con