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20 Sep 2000
Today's pledge by the Conservatives to cut fuel duty by 3p a litre is a cheap, political concession at the expense of the millions of people threatened by dangerous climate change, said Friends of the Earth. The move would weaken incentives for manufacturers to introduce more efficient cars, and on the motorist to buy them.
Coming less than a month after the Conservatives' pledge to scrap the Government's Climate Levy (a measure to promote business energy efficiency) [1], it shows the Tories cannot be trusted to tackle climate change - the number one environmental problem facing the world.
Tony Bosworth, Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“The Tories are playing fast and loose with the world's climate. For a cheap political gain, they would jeopardise the lives of millions of people around the who could die from floods and storms caused by climate change.
“What is Mr Hague going to do about climate change? He doesn't want tax measures to encourage business energy efficiency and he doesn't want tax measures to encourage more efficient cars. Instead he prefers to jump on a populist band-wagon and turn a blind eye to the biggest environmental problem facing the world today.”
NOTE TO EDITORS
[1] On 31 August, Mr Michael Portillo announced that the Conservatives would scrap the Climate Levy - the fiscally neutral device that Labour is introducing to encourage businesses to be more energy efficient.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
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