Archived press release

Business Manifestos: Regulation Needed to Protect Environment

28 April 2005

Both Labour and Conservatives are failing to face up to the threat to society and the environment by promoting a de-regulatory agenda in the election, Friends of the Earth said today (Thursday), as Labour launched its Business Manifesto.

All three main parties have committed to cutting "red tape" if they come to power, and today Patricia Hewitt, Labour's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said: "We pledge to work tirelessly to create an open, competitive global marketplace - championing the cause of free and fair trade, and using our EU Presidency to push for progress on competition and better regulation" [1].

Friends of the Earth criticised the manifesto which it said held no real promise of "better regulation" and continued to confuse free and fair trade. The environmental campaign group is calling for new laws to hold UK companies to account at home and abroad [2].

Earlier in the week the Tory leader Michael Howard launched their Business Manifesto, promising to scrap the Operating and Financial Review (OFR), the only attempt from Government so far to make companies report on their social and environmental impacts [3].

Friends of the Earth's Head of Corporate Accountability campaign Craig Bennett said:

"In their battle over who can cut the most red tape for business, politicians seem to have forgotten what is important. Business does not benefit wider society if its profits are made at the expense of people and the environment. More and more people are calling for trade justice and tighter corporate regulation. It is time politicians faced up to the public rather than listening to corporate lobby groups."

The Liberal Democrats have committed to "strengthen reporting obligations for government and business as part of an Environmental Responsibility Act, holding government as well as business to account" [4].

Earlier this month 25,000 people held an all night vigil in London to call for trade justice not free trade [5]. Campaigners also want to see tighter rules for companies to stop them putting profits before people and the environment.

Notes

[1] www.labour.org.uk/

[2] www.corporate-responsibility.org

[3] www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=manifesto.index.page

[4] www.libdems.org.uk/party/policy/manifesto.html

[5] www.tjm.org.uk

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust