OSBORNE SPEECH – GREENPEACE RESPONDS
Commenting on George Osborne's conference speech in which he said that Britain will cut its carbon emissions no faster than any other European country, Greenpeace senior policy advisor Ruth Davis said:
"They said they would be the greenest government ever, but George Osborne just stole a line straight out of George Bush's climate playbook. In reality it's in Britain's interests to lead the world on climate change because the economies that win the race to develop clean renewable energy systems will be the ones that sell them to the rest of the world. The move to review the UK's climate targets if Europe doesn't cut its carbon fast enough is not new, it was agreed and announced months ago. By presenting it as a break with the past just weeks before governments prepare to gather in South Africa to agree a new international climate deal, the Chancellor has put red meat for party activists above global leadership."
Osborne recently lost a public fight over the fourth carbon budget (the government's long-term strategy for cutting UK emissions) when David Cameron stepped in to overrule his Chancellor and confirm that Britain would continue to give a global lead on climate change. At the time (May 2011) a defeated Treasury was offered a fig leaf – that there would be a review of European efforts to cut emissions and that Britain's own targets would be keep in step with other countries' progress. Today's speech has seen him spin that sop as a significant change in policy.
At the time of Osborne's defeat over the carbon budget David Cameron said: "In the past twelve months, we have pursued an ambitious green agenda and today, we are announcing the next, historic step. By making this commitment, we will position the UK as a leading player in the global low-carbon economy, creating significant new industries and jobs."
Chris Huhne statement on the original decision here:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/cb_oms/cb_oms.aspx
It is entirely fallacious to blame recent hikes in energy bills high on climate change measures. Most of the recent rise in bills is directly attributable to increases in fossil fuel prices. The trend has been exacerbated by the big six energy companies taking advantage of their monopoly. One reason campaigners are pushing for a transition to renewable energy is to protect vulnerable people from surges in oil and gas prices. This DECC blog illustrates the fact:
http://blog.decc.gov.uk/2011/07/28/the-true-cost-of-energy-and-climate-change-policies-on-bills/
ENDS
Greenpeace press office – 0207 865 8255
