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Budget must focus on green energy
8 April 2009
Reacting to Gordon Brown's promise today [Wednesday 8 April 2009] to set out environmentally-friendly measures in this month's Budget, including making Britain a world leader in producing and exporting electric cars, Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:
"Gordon Brown's electric dream is commendable but essentially misses the point - renewable energy is what we need."
"Electric cars are only as green as the energy they run on - and the renewable energy industry is on its knees."
"Only by dramatically ramping up support to renewable energy companies and cutting energy waste will we cut greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to avoid a climate catastrophe."
"The Government must set out plans in the Budget to make every home a low-carbon home - ending fuel poverty, slashing emissions and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs."
"It is vital that the UK demonstrates green leadership ahead of urgent UN climate change talks in Copenhagen later this year."
"It's not a question of whether we can afford a green fiscal stimulus - we simply can't afford not to."
Notes:
1. The Government will also be publishing its legally-binding, short-term greenhouse gas budgets on the same day. Science shows that to avoid dangerous climate change the Government must commit to cutting UK greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent by 2020. www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/tyndall_research_17032009.html
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Apr 2009
