Press release

Cameron addresses clean energy summit

26 April 2012

Commenting on David Cameron's address today (Thursday 26 April 2012) to an international clean energy summit in London, Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"This falls a long way short of the green speech David Cameron should have given - tipping his hat to the need for a cleaner future and recycling a few announcements just won't measure up.

"While the nation is in recession, the green economy is growing at four per cent - developing clean British energy enjoys huge public support and could provide thousands of new jobs and cut fuel bills.

"Shortly after coming to power the Prime Minister promised to lead the 'greenest Government ever' - almost two years later we're still waiting for him to spell out how he's going to achieve this."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.           PM heralds rapid progress of UK green economy - DECC press release

2.           The UK's green economy sector is growing steadily at 4 per cent per annum and contributing significantly to the UK's otherwise dismal GDP figures. Low carbon and clean tech goods and services are estimated to support 900,000 jobs in Britain and to contribute £190 billion to our GDP tally. But the green economy could perform far more strongly with the right incentives and support, and with unequivocal backing from government ministers. For more information see here. 

3.           A Friends of the Earth report - written by former Executive Director Jonathon Porritt - and published on the first anniversary (7 May 2011) of David Cameron's pledge to lead the 'greenest Government ever' revealed that the Government had failed to deliver on most of its key green pledges and many policies had been delayed, watered down or even abandoned. The report examined 77 green policies - and found little or no progress in over three quarters of them (58). See report here. 

4.           A Friends of the Earth briefing gives more information on the Government's environmental record over the past year here. 

5.           Earlier this week Friends of the Earth launched a new energy campaign urging the Government to invest in clean British energy with new research showing 85 per cent of Brits would like to see the Government increasing the use of clean British energy and reducing the use of overseas gas. For more information see: here and www.cleanbritishenergy.co.uk.

Last month, more than 30,000 people backed Friends of the Earth's Final Demand campaign for an end to the dominance of the Big Six energy firms and better support for clean British energy providers. For more information see here. 

6.           Green agenda still the key, says David Cameron in June 2008. See speech here.

To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust