Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Rachael Maskell said the opposition party will push for greater use of renewable technologies.
She told delegates: “Unlike the government, Labour will embrace the circular economy – reducing our consumption, recycling and generating energy from our waste, not turning it over to landfill. We all have our part to play in Labour’s recycling revolution.”
Maskell added that the country and the Conservative government has “forgotten the wealth that living by the coast brings us”, and that “we need to harness the natural resources of the sea and coast”.
She stated: “As an island nation, Labour will develop tidal power generation, adding this to further renewable energy.”
The shadow environment secretary also said this would help tackle climate change as well as limit the impacts of floods, such as that seen as a result of Storm Eva.
On top of this, Maskell stated Labour will press ahead trying to implement whole of catchment management in a bid to limit the devastation of floods, and if they got to power, would also introduce a statutory duty on the fire and rescue service to deal with flooding.