Commenting on George Osborne's speech at the Conservative party conference today, Friends of the Earth's Executive Director, Andy Atkins said:

"George Osborne said nothing in his speech to demonstrate that he's acting on last week's stark scientific warning on climate change. The Chancellor seems hell-bent on keeping the UK economy hooked on costly fossil fuels.

"Renewable energy may have avoided its customary savaging from the Chancellor, but this won't placate the major investors that today called on him to firmly back clean power.

"A fuel duty price freeze may bring short-term relief to motorists, but the only long term solution to rising petrol prices is to wean our transport system off increasingly expensive oil.

"If the Chancellor is concerned about living standards he should be helping everyone to insulate their homes - bringing jobs and economic benefits to every part of the UK, and driving down emissions."

ENDS