Our mission

There is a pressing need to think harder about how policy makers and the general public reconcile the perceived contradictions between protecting and enhancing our natural environment and sustaining economic growth.

We believe these two vital priorities need not be at odds with one another.

If it is the ambition of politics is to improve the quality of people lives, then economic and environmental welfare are indivisible.  It is, after all, the world most economically advanced states that are the leading stewards of their environment.

The policy solutions that seek to address environmental problems must be tied to our economy and our way of life.

For the last three decades, the green political terrain has been colonised by the left. Whilst intentions have been good, a level of success commensurate to the challenge we face has not been forthcoming. A fresh policy approach is sorely needed.

There is now an urgent need to reconnect contemporary approaches to environmentalism with centre-right policy solutions, and to reconnect 壮mall-c conservatism with its long and proud history of environmental stewardship.   

The conservative environment network aims to be a central forum and helpful resource for this regeneration.

History

Since the 1970, the cause of the environment has been seen by turns as reactionary, hostile to western values, faddish, trendy and, more recently in a remarkable turnaround - politically expedient. It is none of these things.

Today environmentalism has a long philosophical and political heritage. In essence it is conservative, focused on a belief in the need to conserve and prudently use what we have today so that it will be available for others in the future.

If some of the actions we need to take now in order to enhance the security of our own and future generations seem radical, that is merely a reflection of the extent to which we have collectively lost touch with the conservative tradition.

Ideology

18th Century thinker Edmund Burke stated that we are 'but temporary possessors or life renters of this world, with a moral obligation not to squander our natural inheritance, lest we leave to those who come after ruin instead of a habitation.'

Our respect for the past and responsibility to future generations informs our duty to conserve our resources and protect the environment. It is a philosophical commitment to taking care of what we have been given, and safeguarding the planet and our country for our children.

For centuries, political momentum has been primarily concerned with raising people standard of living, which has focused overwhelmingly on material advantage. We have come to a point in history where we can no longer view the good life so narrowly. Protecting the environment is about protecting and improving the quality of people lives in a much wider sense.

Scope

This task not only includes defending ourselves against international threats like climate change or acid rain, it also means taking responsibility for local environmental problems such as the quality of our air and water and the condition of our green spaces.

It is often this local environment, what we can see, hear, taste and live in, that builds much of the context of our lives. Our local environment influences the way we behave, the respect we have for our communities, or whether we have a sense of community at all.

In an age of ever increasing globalism, where the problems often seem too huge, daunting and distant to contemplate, the importance of what we can do at a local level will only grow.

Localism is not the only solution; but devolving real authority away from central government and into local communities will help unlock people sense of empowerment and give us more opportunities to look after the places where we live.

Method

The methods and mechanisms we use to safeguard our environment must run with, rather than against, the grain of human nature.

Effective progress will only come from solutions that use the power of markets and are predicated on the idea that people should be encouraged to do the right thing.

It should be the role of government to make the better choice the easier choice. Policy makers must take this as their first cue, aiming to empower and unlock rather than penalise and punish.