Greenpeace and the RAC Foundation today joined forces to demand that Gordon Brown create a Green Fuel Fund of £00 million a year to protect the climate and human health by promoting alternatives to oil.
In a joint statement, the two organisation suggest that the Fund should be used to:
- increase the use of road fuel gases
- increase the use of electric vehicles
- begin work on a hydrogen distribution system
Road fuel gases are less polluting than petrol or diesel vehicles. Electric and hydrogen fuelled vehicles emit no pollution directly, but are only green if the electricity or hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources. So the Fund should also be used to:
- harness the UK's offshore wind potential
- develop a world-beating wave power industry
- fit solar panels to new and existing buildings
A recent national opinion poll conducted for Greenpeace by NOP, showed that 68% of those questioned would prefer fuel tax to stay at current levels rather than a cut if a few pence of the fuel tax where invested in public transport and in developing cleaner engines.
Greenpeace and the RAC Foundation disagree about the level of fuel duty. Greenpeace believes that the duty should be used to ensure a gradually increasing fuel price because high fuel prices are necessary to discourage unnecessary driving and to encourage drivers to purchase more efficient vehicles. The RAC Foundation believes that fuel prices should be stabilised.
The two organisations are however agreed that whatever the level of fuel duty, the Government should create a Fund to develop alternatives to oil.
Notes to editors:
(1) Tony Blair's speech on the environment at the CBI/Green Alliance Forum, Tuesday 23rd October 2000.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace Press Office on 020 7865 8255/6/7/8
