Talk is cheap: Round-up of Budget comments

Our first thoughts on yesterday’s Budget were that it was a Budget for the Future, as the Chancellor referred to many policies that he will, or may, implement at a later date, and it contained contradictions and missed opportunities that over-diluted any green claims.

It seems that everyone wants their two pence worth, so we’ve rounded up the best comments sent to us by companies and environmental groups.

The Current Climate

Of the ‘green’ policies that were introduced, Phil Bloomer, Oxfam’s Campaigns and Policy Director, said: ‘These measures, while welcome, only scrape the tip of a melting iceberg.’

Friends of the Earth director, Tony Juniper, said: ‘The Chancellor promised to put sustainability at the heart of today's announcement, but he has merely tinkered in the margins. Mr Darling should have used this Budget to tackle climate change - the biggest challenge the world faces - by making it cheaper and easier for people to go green.’

‘The starting point is that we must cut our emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 if we are to avert dangerous climate change,’ said David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK. He echoed Juniper in saying: ‘Central to this should be urgent, consistent policies to encourage and support businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions. . . the government must show a much higher level of ambition if we are to avoid the ‘catastrophic’ consequences of climate change that Alistair Darling outlined in his budget.’

On Transport

The aviation tax on flights was generally welcomed, although WWF said this will only have an effect on a small number of passengers. It also highlighted, as did we, that a greater, detrimental, impact is that the government still supports the new runways at Heathrow and Stansted, ‘without considering the alternatives to flying.’

The ‘showroom tax’, which will see drivers of gas guzzlers pay more tax, was also welcomed. What wasn’t welcomed was that the 2p on the fuel they, and other vehicles, guzzle, has been delayed until October.

‘Another freeze in fuel duty will further undermine the government's already weak green credentials,’ said Juniper. ‘Raising fuel duty would encourage people to choose greener transport options’.

WWF added: ‘Freezing fuel duty creates a climate of uncertainty for business. Letting the real cost of motoring to fall further will simply lead to more congestion on our roads and a continued rise in carbon emissions from transport.’

On Green Homes

Friends of the Earth said the Chancellor failed to take any action to tackle the 27 per cent of carbon emissions which come from the UK's homes. It claims the £26m announced for green homes is not new money.

There is a general consensus that grants to install renewable energy, reduction in VAT for energy efficiency home products and incentives for people to insulate their homes, would all help reduce emissions - and were all missing from the Budget.

On Windfall tax – and fuel poverty

Dale Vince, MD of Ecotricity, said: ‘After a year when record profits have gone hand-in-hand with record price hikes, and disappointing investment in renewable energy, not imposing a windfall tax on energy companies is a missed opportunity’.

Friends of the Earth explained: ‘The Chancellor did nothing about the scandal of energy companies making an estimated £9bn in unearned profits from the free allocation of carbon emissions permits under the European Emissions Trading Scheme. Having threatened the energy companies with a windfall tax he backed down in return of a feeble promise of increasing the number of people receiving a social tariff. A Windfall Tax could have raised £5bn to insulate the homes of the fuel poor.’

On New buildings

Friends of the Earth welcomed the ambition for all new non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon from 2019; ‘but 10 years is a long way away in the context of the Stern Review's call for urgent action now.’

In Brief

Friends of the Earth: ‘The net effect of the Budget on carbon emissions is certainly not up to the scale of action required, as set out in the Stern Review.’

Dale Vince: ‘The Government simply don’t get it - it's all about consumption and growth, not true sustainability.’

What did you make the Alistair Darling’s first Budget? Was it greener than you expected? Or has he made it impossible to meet the government’s targets on emissions reductions?