An election is a time for churches and for all of us to promote democratic choice and to make climate change a priority for all the parties.

You can join with other churches and organise your own hustings (go to Churches Together in Britain and Ireland's website: http://www.ctbi.org.uk/427 for a step by step guide on how to do so), attend a hustings in your area or simply quiz the candidates at your door step.

At Operation Noah we have plenty of ideas about what are key questions on climate change. Read our guide below and make sure that you are well equipped to ask your local politician the 'climate questions'.

Read through and choose from our selection of questions below. We are also offering this set of questions as a downloadable word document - you can send it directly to your candidate for him and her to fill in and return.

Questions:

1) We all need to take action ourselves to tackle our impact on the planet. I regularly .............................................................................................................................................................. What steps do you regularly take to tackle your carbon footprint?

2) Measures to decarbonise our economy are unlikely to be popular. How far is your party willing to exercise leadership and help society adapt to climate change?

3) The Climate Change Committee said in December 2008 that to fulfil the UK’s climate change obligations we need to almost completely decarbonise the power sector by 2030 and cut emissions by 34% by 2020. How would your party propose to do this? 

4) Is the desire for economic growth compatible with the emission cuts needed to prevent uncontrolled climate change?

5) The Government Sustainable Development Commission Prosperity without Growth argues for a new macro-economics for sustainability that does not rely on relentless growth and expanding material throughput. Do you agree that the UK can afford prosperity without growth and if so how should we change the indicators we use for economic well-being?

6) What importance would you attach to the loss of natural habitats that threaten the extinction of many species and what role can the UK play in addressing this?

7) How can Government provide investor and business with greater certainty of the commercial viability of long-term investment in low-carbon technologies? Ultimately will investor confidence depend on the existence of a comprehensive set of legally binding national targets (which the Copenhagen Summit failed to deliver)?

8) Instead of cutting public spending should we not invest in a Green New Deal to decarbonise the economy by generating income for government through creating jobs, tax revenues and cutting unemployment benefits?

9) Given the government's major stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland what action will your party take to deter RBS from investing in ecologically or environmentally harmful projects like Tar Sands Extraction?

10) What are your party’s plans to improve the insulation of existing and new housing stock? In particular, what are your party’s plans to implement [or replace] the government’s “Warm Homes, Greener Homes: a strategy for household energy management”? How can this be done in a way that lifts the most vulnerable out of fuel poverty?

11) What is your party’s position on airport expansion and the expansion of low-carbon public transport options?

12) What new money would your party raise to help developing countries with climate change?

13) Does your party have any plans to introduce personal carbon allowances? If so, please give further details and planned implementation date.

14) Civil society on a national and local level has been key to developing & implementing low-carbon initiatives. (Mention here any action you know of e.g. are you an eco-congregation or transition town?) What will your party do to ensure there is adequate financial support for this campaigning and action to continue?