The document discusses the UK government's green agenda and policies around natural capital and the environment. It summarizes the government's 2011 White Paper on the natural environment, its 25 Year Environment Plan, and goals to reform agricultural policy. It argues that properly accounting for natural capital and environmental costs is important for economic efficiency. Currently, agricultural policy is bad for farmers, taxpayers, consumers and the environment. The document advocates for adopting an aggregate natural capital rule, ensuring new housing and infrastructure leads to net environmental gains, applying the polluter pays principle, and establishing universal access to the countryside and nature as a citizen's right.
2. THE GREEN AGENDA – WHERE ARE WE?
- The 2011 White Paper: The Natural Choice
- The 25 Year Environment Plan
- A new Agricultural Policy
“We will put natural capital at the centre of economic
thinking and at the heart of the way we measure
economic progress nationally”
“The Government wants this to be the first generation
to leave the natural environment in a better state than it
inherited”
3. WHY GREEN IS ECONOMICALLY
EFFICIENT
An efficient market internalises all the costs
– including pollution
An efficient market provides public goods
– including beauty, health, recreations and biodiversity
4. WHERE ARE WE NOW?
The crazy economics of agriculture
BAD FOR
FARMERS
BAD FOR
TAXPAYERS
BAD FOR
CONSUMERS
BAD FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT
5. WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
The aggregate natural capital rule
and the 25 year plan
The coming housing and infrastructure
developments – net environmental gain
The polluter pays principle
A USO for the environment –
why access to the countryside and nature
should be a Universal Citizen’s Right
