2009

Not good enough, Darling.
13 May 2009

The Budget, announced on 22 April, was an historic opportunity to kick start a green industrial revolution.

This could have:

Created thousands of green jobs Slashed climate change emissions

But the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, blew it.

The Government is advised by the Sustainable Development Commission.

They said £30 billion a year for the next three years is needed to kick start a low carbon economy.

But the Government's promised 'green stimulus' was a measly £1.4 billion for low-carbon measures.

Did you know?

The budget announced funding to extract an extra 2 billion barrels of oil and gas from the North Sea.

This will create 800 million tonnes of CO₂ - more than the carbon reductions planned up to 2022.

Carbon Budget

The Government also announced their carbon budgets, which set out how much carbon the UK is allowed to produce up to 2022.

This was a requirement of the Climate Change Act, a law which Friends of the Earth successfully campaigned for.

Under the Act the Government set a target to cut emissions by 34% by 2020.

Copenhagen Conference

An international deal on climate change will be discussed in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The Government said they would raise this target if an international deal is reached.

But they intend to achieve this larger cut by off-setting - buying carbon credits from abroad.

The 2020 target is too low
The science calls for at least 42% carbon cuts
The off-setting loop hole must be closed
Carbon trading will stall action on climate.

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Find out more:

Friends of the Earth's Budget 2009 briefing