Help ensure green measures are included in the Comprehensive Spending Review
27 September 2010

The acid test of the Government's promise to be the "greenest ever" is fast approaching.

The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is announced on 20 October 2010. It will set out Government spending plans for the next four years.

Green measures - far from being a luxury - are a critical part of a fair and sustainable economic recovery.

Hundreds of thousands of green jobs would be created across the country if the Government moves quickly and decisively. And renewables and the energy efficiency sectors can be major engines of the economy.

The responsible thing to do at the CSR is to invest in a low-carbon economic future for the UK. There are two main priorities:

Big money: backing the Green Investment Bank

The Government committed to bring in a Green Investment Bank following campaigning from Friends of the Earth. But it must be properly funded to be truly transformative.

The Comprehensive Spending Review must pledge at least £6bn over the next four years to get the Bank off the ground, and attract many multiples more in private investment.

Small-scale: renewables and advice

The Chancellor must end uncertainty and commit to keeping the existing Feed-in Tariff rates - and bringing in a decent Renewable Heat Incentive from next year.

And he must allow the vital work of bodies like the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust to continue - they give advice to businesses and householders on saving cash and cutting carbon.

Please write to the Chancellor, George Osborne, and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, asking them to make the right decisions in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Email George Osborne and Chris Huhne

Dear Mr Osborne and Mr Huhne,

Here's an example you can use (but personalising this message would be much more effective).

I am writing to ask you to make sure the Comprehensive Spending Review puts delivering a low-carbon economy at its heart. Hundreds of thousands of green jobs depend on the decisions you make in the Review. We urgently need big investment in energy efficiency and a new generation of clean, green power if we're to meet our carbon targets, make the UK's energy supply more secure, and create sustainable employment across the country. It's great that the Coalition Agreement reinforced your commitment to bringing in a Green Investment Bank. It's now vital to get the Bank up and running quickly so it can start attracting the billions of private sector investment that we urgently need. Please make sure the Bank is properly capitalized - by at least £6bn over the CSR period. This would enable it to lever many more times that in private sector funding so we can get on with decarbonising our economy. There have also been very mixed signals from your departments about the future of the Feed-in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive. This is harming industry and stifling investment. Both are vital, so please end the speculation by committing to keep the existing FIT rates, and bring in a strong RHI from next April. Finally, I hope you agree that it's important to help people and businesses cut their energy bills and their carbon footprint. So please continue to fund organizations like Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust, who help save millions for the UK economy as well as playing an indispensible role in meeting carbon targets.

You can contact me by email (preferably - to save resources) or at the following address:

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Help ensure green measures are included in the Comprehensive Spending Review27 September 2010

Big money: backing the Green Investment Bank

Small-scale: renewables and advice

Email George Osborne and Chris Huhne

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Help ensure green measures are included in the Comprehensive Spending Review
27 September 2010