Liberal Democrats Conference 2023: your run-down for everything environmental

Bournemouth 2023 marks the first in-person Autumn conference for the Liberal Democrats in four years and is also likely to be the last Autumn conference before a Westminster general election. With the environment high up the Lib Dems agenda and wedge issues such as sewage pollution and nature protection becoming defining campaign issues for the party, conference this year will no doubt be a place for lively discussion and insightful analysis of the political landscape.

With a number of policy motions and an array of events all related to environment and climate, Seahorse has pulled out the go-to events. The structure of the Lib Dem conference is split between policy motions and speeches in the man hall (for party members only) and fringe events, which are open to all. The full agenda for the conference can be found here.

Seahorse will be attending the Lib Dem conference this year, so if you’re attending and would like to chat, please get in touch with Sarah Whitebread swhitebread@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk or Costanza Poggi cpoggi@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk.

Saturday 23rd September

18.30-19.30 Lib Dems Conference Rally. Line-up TBC.

Sunday 24th September

The Sunday session begins with two motions related to climate and the environment. All policy motions are to be held in the main conference venue, the Bournemouth International Centre.

From 09.00–09.20 there will be a short debate on the policy motion ‘Making the Fight Against Climate Change Accessible’. This will call for climate strategies to consider the wider needs of disabled and older people and proposes measures such as the allocation of 3% of government research and development funding on environment and climate change prevention to be centred on bringing wider social and healthcare benefits.

From 09.20–10.05 the policy motion: Fixing Fast Fashion – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle will be debated. With the fashion industry responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the UK consuming more new clothing than any other EU country, the motion will call for solutions such as a new garment levy or bans on incineration and landfilling of textiles which could be recycled.

Event: 13:00-14:00 Green Alliance, Wildlife and Countryside Link and RSPB will be hosting ‘Green prosperity: unlocking the benefits of nature friendly farming.’

Chair: Lydia Collas, Senior Policy analyst, Green Alliance. Speakers: Baroness Bakewell, Lords EFRA Spokesperson (invited), Stuart Roberts, PPC for South West Herts and Three Rivers, and former Deputy president of the NFU, Georgie Bray, Farm manager, RSPB and Richard Benwell, CEO, Wildlife and Countryside LINK.

Venue: Bournemouth International Centre (BIC)

At 14.25-15.10 Question-and-answer session with Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Lib Dems. Members will have the opportunity to put questions on any topic of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. The submission deadline for questions online has passed, but there will be an opportunity to submit questions on the day via a form which can be collected at the Speakers’ Table in the auditorium.

Event: 18.15-19.15 the RSPB, WWF and the National Trust host ‘Save Our Wild Isles panel discussion’ with Lib Dem Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP and Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems in the House of Lords Baroness Parminter.

Venue: BIC, Bayview 1

Event: 19.45-21.00 River Action and Sustain host ‘How the Lib Dems can save our Rivers’. With river pollution set to become a defining issue in the next general election, this panel will be discussing the role of intensive agriculture and what can be done on a local and national level to clean up our rivers. This panel will be chaired by Seahorse Account Director Sarah Whitebread and speakers include Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron, River Action’s James Wallace, Sustain’s Ruth Westcott, The Wildlife Trust’s Ali Morse and Amy Chapple of Redwoods Farm.

Venue: BIC, Durley Suite

Monday 25th September

Monday starts at 09.55-11.05 with a policy motion from Tim Farron MP on Food and Farming. This will cover issues such as food poverty and security, ELMS and the need for food system that works for the natural environment, the climate, consumers and producers.

Event: 11.30-12.30 The Nature Conservancy host ‘Accelerating the Renewable Energy Rollout while Delivering for Nature and Communities Roundtable’. Speakers include Tim Farron MP, and representatives from Renewable UK, Regen, SSE, Orsted, Energy UK, Energy Transition Commission, Centre for Sustainable Energy, The Nature Conservancy, and many others.

Venue: Marriott Hotel, Blandford Syndicate 3

Event: 11.30-12.30 If farming is more up your street, Sustain and the Nature Friendly Farming Network are hosting an event on ‘Balancing food production and environmental goals’ at the same time. Further details and speakers to be announced.

Venue: Marriott Hotel, Sandbanks Room

Wrapping up the day, Green Alliance, the National Trust, RSPB, Greenpeace, The Wildlife Trusts, and WWF are hosting a Green Reception for the eNGO sector.

Speakers: Baroness Kate Parminter, Chair, Lords Environment Committeee, Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Spokesperson for Environment, Rebecca Humphries, Head of climate policy Europe, The Nature Conservancy and Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance.

Venue: Marriott hotel, Shaftesbury Suite

Tuesday 26th September

11.25-12.35 One of the final conference policy motions covers one of the most hotly debated topics in the environment sector in recent weeks: Tackling the Nature Crisis (the Lib Dem Natural Environment Policy Paper). With the UK ranked in the bottom 10% amongst G7 nations for biodiversity, this motion calls for action such as reversing the decline of nature by 2030, a new Environmental Rights Act, nutrient budgeting and setting a new ‘blue flag’ standard for rivers. The outcome of this will no doubt inform much of the Lib Dems policy position on nature, so it is not one to be missed.

Speech: 14.30-15.30 Sir Ed Davey MP will be giving his main speech in the Auditorium. This wide-ranging speech will no doubt cover Lib Dems key policy positions and priorities as it gears up for the next general election.