UK's Lib Dem Party's plans for a Zero Carbon Economy

[pikaia]

"Liberal Democrats are committed to achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions from the UK
economy by 2050. Our aim is that emissions in the UK should broadly be balanced by greenhouse
gases sequestered in the UK. "

http://www.libdems.org.uk/siteFiles/resources/docs/conference/2013%20Autumn/Policy/109%20-%20Green%20Growth%20and%20Green%20Jobs.pdf

Note that they say zero emissions, rather than zero fossil fuel consumption. I think the UK will have great difficulty producing all its energy without fossil fuel!

[ghoti]

should broadly be balanced by greenhouse gases sequestered in the UK.

Now that's just a bad joke and an excuse not to reduce emissions.

[TerryM]

Slightly OT, but Ontario's decision to eliminate coal should be seen as proof that radical changes can be made without disrupting society.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ontario-phases-out-coal-fired-power
It would be nice if our next goal was to eliminate all fossil fuels for power generation but I fear we'll rest on our laurels, at least through the next election cycle.
Terry

[Anne]

The Lib Dems are going to be hard pressed to influence future policy at all unless there is another hung parliament. It may sound like a bad joke, ghoti, but we've got to start somewhere.
The other parties:
Labour party policy: fine words, zero detail.
Tories: fine words, but details more about saving money for consumers than saving the environment.
UKIP's policy is allegedly (it's a 404) a bit of a disaster.

[ghoti]

Start with known very effective methods of reducing CO2 production such as regulating minimum fleet average fuel efficiency for all vehicles.