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Friends of the Earth releases 'Blueprint For A Green Budget'
26 June 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Thursday 26 June 1997 page 1 of 1These priority measures are based on recommendations made by Friends of the Earth to the Chancellor and the Treasury in correspondence and meetings held over the past 18 months. The measures are categorised as follows:
1) short-term tax and public expenditure measures to meet the UK's carbon dioxide reduction target of 20% cuts on 1990 emission levels by 2010
2) green tax reforms that: a) increase taxes on pollution and waste; b) stimulate work and job creation by cutting employers' National Insurance Contributions by an amount equivalent to pollution/waste revenues raised, c) open up markets for environmental technologies - and stay in Treasury tax and spending constraints
3) institutional changes to develop and implement a thorough and comprehensive environmental reform of tax and Government expenditure programmes.
Charles Secrett, Director of Friends of the Earth, said:
"The Chancellor has a golden opportunity in his first Budget to use tax and expenditure policies to drive forward solutions to urgent environmental problems. In particular, he can do so much to ensure that the UK meets its ambitious carbon dioxide reduction target.
These measures make economic and social, as well as environmental,sense. They will create employment, make the polluters pay, increase productivity and competitiveness in business, and protect the environment by cutting pollution and waste. They are win-win-win measures, based on best practice abroad. With virtually no environmental initiatives in Labour's first Queen's Speech, it is essential that the Budget backs up the Government's many recent promises to tackle environmental problems".
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Blueprint For A Green Budget
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Dec 2008
