The Arctic - threatened by oil exploration and development
The DTI and Greenpeace have been traditional adversaries, and there is still much about the Department that we criticise. But under his [ Stephen Byers] stewardship, there are the first signs of a change in the nature of DTI. No longer do we hear an instinctive, knee-jerk rejection of environmentalism as bad for business. Short term defence of business interests is beginning to be replaced by longer term defence of the public interest. So our first message to Stephen today is simply this: keep up the good work - there's a long way still to go!
The best example of the new approach - the Byers factor - is the new Government policy on HFCs. It is a simple statement: HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases and do not have a long term future. It is no more than a statement of the obvious, really. But a statement of the obvious from a source which has traditionally denied the obvious can have dramatic effects.
The new policy has caused squeals of indignation from ICI, manufacturers of HFCs. But the Government is right to ignore their special pleading. Taking the broad view, the policy will be good for British business, which now has a clear framework in which to make investment decisions. In the long run, as the Government's climate change strategy makes clear, we will have to reduce greenhouse gas emisisons by 90% or more. Short term easy options are not good for long term economic success
