^{Date:              7 October 2008
Embargo:       None}

ESA at the Labour Party Conference

ESA continued its presence at the main party conferences this September with the highest ever profile at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt. Hon Hilary Benn MP, was the main guest at the Environment Question Time event. Also speaking at the event, chaired by Emily Thornberry MP, were the new Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Chris Smith, Martin Dougherty of Natural England, and Peter Madden of Forum for the Future. Speaking for ESA was Chief Executive Dirk Hazell.

Discussion covered a wide range of environmental issues, including the future of the sector, expansion of Heathrow, alternative measurements of quality of life, and eco-towns. The main focus of the event centred on climate change, including the work of the climate change committee, carbon budgets, electricity generation and energy efficiency and the contribution which could be made by ESA’s Members.

This event was followed by a reception focusing on the Climate Change Bill organised by SERA, the Labour environment campaign. Guest speaker at the event was the Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon David Miliband MP, who as Environment Secretary had been responsible for introducing the Bill and whom Dirk Hazell warmly welcomed.

ESA also participated in a roundtable breakfast discussion, focusing upon waste issues, and attended by the Minister, Joan Ruddock MP. Speaking in his introductory remarks Dirk Hazell, ESA Chief Executive, highlighted the need for new infrastructure to catch up with our European neighbours and stressed the need for local authorities, many of whom were represented at the meeting, to speed up planning applications. Mr Hazell also argued that strengthening producer responsibility, for example by using powers in the forthcoming Waste Framework Directive, would make waste easier to recycle in the longer term. He also noted the need, in the context of sustainable consumption and production, for agreed measures of sustainability.

Issues raised within the discussion from local council representatives included how councils achieve higher rates of recycling in tower blocks, the need for new investment in infrastructure including vehicles and transfer stations, whether tonnage is the best measure of recycling and how the UK can move on to the next stage improved recycling, perhaps with some nationally agreed simplification of recycling rules such as standardised colours for bins.

ESA also attended a number of other fringe events at conference of interest, including a discussion of Labour’s environmental record with the Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP, and a number of discussions focusing on Energy with Minister Malcolm Wickes MP. Of particular interest to ESA Members was a roundtable discussion with the Carbon Trust and Treasury Minister Angela Eagle MP, who highlighted the need for regulation to create a level playing field. She also noted that from the 2009 Budget onwards, HM Treasury will also for the first time publish a Carbon Budget alongside the main Budget to begin measuring the environmental outcomes of policy measures. Speaking in response, ESA’s Chief Executive welcomed this work which reflected current work of ESA and its Members.

ENDS