We must make the environment a priority in this election

Most people were taken by surprise when Rishi Sunak called a summer election, among them the editor of the Conservatives’ house magazine, the Spectator, Fraser Nelson. He tweeted the proof of a leading article, entitled ‘The valley of death’, arguing that “to call and early election would be an admission of defeat – and that, on everything from public finances to public services, the worst is yet to come”.

The Labour leadership certainly seems to be anticipating hard times. The FT reports that Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, has drawn up a ‘shit list’ of problems Labour will face if it wins the election. There is no shortage of them and a number concern the environment. Perhaps appropriately, the potential collapse of Thames Water makes it onto Sue Gray’s list. We may also see higher energy prices this winter and higher food prices as a result of persistent wet weather.

Rishi Sunak knows a bit about wet weather but does not seem too interested in what is causing it. As the drenched prime minister announced the election, he counterposed “energy security and your family finances” (good) against “environmental dogma” (clearly bad). It is depressing to think that this sort of thing is likely to become a feature of the campaign.

Labour seems unlikely to say much about climate. In his election launch, Keir Starmer condemned sewage in rivers, but his pitch on energy was to cut bills. Ed Miliband’s speech last week, launching Labour’s ‘first steps’, mentioned climate only in passing: again, the pitch was lower bills.

The cost of living is the public’s biggest concern and will inevitably dominate the election, along with the state of public services. At Green Alliance we understand that. Our Programme for government sets out green policies the parties can adopt to improve living standards and strengthen the economy.

But people also care deeply about climate and the environment. It is a top five issue, sometimes higher. And politicians know, or should know, that the climate and nature crisis will increasingly shape our lives, not only in the long term but over the next five years. It is extraordinary to hear politicians talking about issues such as migration, flooding and farming without joining the dots.

Environmentalists must show they understand the importance of other issues. We must not play into the sense that progress on climate and nature is a luxury that comes at the expense of better housing, good jobs and a decent quality of life. We need to make the case that environmental progress is not merely compatible with a stronger economy and better lives: it is the way to achieve them.

But we should not be shy about making the environmental case. The next five years will be crucial to slowing climate change and restoring nature. Delay will be costly, in all senses. Most politicians and commentators seem reluctant to talk about climate and nature in the campaign, except (perhaps) in a negative sense. But that is not good enough. The environment deserves to be a top issue in this election. We need to hear more about the parties’ plans and the government’s record.