Natural Environment

Liberal Democrats Online Policy Consultation Group

Poor resource management leads to a waste of materials, energy and water and causes unnecessary environmental damage, including climate change. The UK discarded around 272 million tonnes of materials as waste in 2007, the majority coming from the demolition, construction, commercial and industrial sectors.

Resource efficiency policies should be based on an industrial ecology approach that looks at the flows of energy, water and materials through the economy and involves product design, the processes used in manufacture and energy use. The aim should be to minimise the amount of raw materials used and, at the end of the process, to reabsorb remaining materials into the economy or return them safely to the natural ecosystem.

In business, a responsible attitude to resource use should be encouraged. Competition for, and therefore the costs of, raw materials and energy are increasing and have become a factor to consider in the operational risk management of all businesses. Some senior business leaders have recognised the need to address the consumption of resources but smaller businesses, in particular, are hindered by a lack of convenient services, systems and information. Until recently, advice and support has been delivered through local authorities, Business Link, and the Defra Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme, but the ending of the BREW programme and accompanying funding cuts have damaged the level of support and advice available.

Waste management, resource efficiency and energy management need to be better integrated. Waste food, for example, can be utilised through systems such as anaerobic digestion to provide a decentralised source of energy and fuel.

Water is another specific resource issue that needs to be considered in view of the likely effects of climate change and the huge housing growth expected in some of the most water-stressed parts of the UK. The supply side can be tackled through large or small-scale water transfers or the construction of reservoirs while demand can be reduced through a combination of the incentive provided by metering and the use of water-saving products.

There is a need to recognise the complexity of interactions between resource choices and the effects on the environment. One current issue is the effect on rainforests and food production and prices of the rapid push to mitigate the climate change emissions of transport through the use of biofuels. Biofuels - especially those produced from waste or from such new sources as algae - can be almost entirely beneficial but we need to assess if unacceptable damage is being caused by some current practices.

Issues to consider:

3. Would the introduction of a comprehensive system of environmental accounting that assigned a value to environmental impacts provide a useful guide to policy and give a much clearer message to business about what is acceptable?
4. What support would best help businesses become resource efficient?
5. Should the ‘Merton Rule’ that insists on a proportion of the energy used in a new building be provided from on-site renewable sources be extended to promote decentralised energy based on organic wastes?
6. Should the zero waste target be extended beyond municipal waste; if so, what should it cover?
7. How can we best move towards sustainable production?
8. What encouragement and support should be provided for the design and development of low-resource products and services?
9. What measures are needed to improve water efficiency and cut leakage?
10. Should water meters be mandatory in water-stressed areas? If so, how should low income families be protected? Are there better ways to encourage domestic water efficiency?
11. Would the introduction of tight sustainability standards for biofuels prevent damaging consequences from their use or should biofuel use be curbed?