· : “The
economy is not somehow separate from the environment but entirely
dependent on it”
In response to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement today, Green
Party co-leader said:
“We are deeply disappointed that, in the middle of a climate
emergency, the Chancellor has failed to put climate at the heart
of his budget today. It’s no good talking about the climate the
week before the budget and the week afterwards and then
sidelining it in the budget itself. The economy is not somehow
separate from the environment but entirely dependent on it.
“We welcome the launch of the first Green Bond, although would
call for independent and stringent monitoring to avoid
greenwashing. We also welcome action on electric vehicles,
although this is no substitute for the modal shift in transport,
moving people out of cars and onto fast, efficient, and
accessible public transport, as well as supporting active travel.
“The change to the Bank of England mandate so that it favours
lending to sustainable sectors does sound promising, but we need
to see the small print to see just how successful this will be.
‘The freezing of fuel duty is another disappointment, but we
would have gone much further than just returning to the annual
escalator by imposing a high and rising carbon tax on all fossil
fuels. A carbon tax is the fastest and most efficient way to make
the biggest polluting companies pay for the carbon they emit,
signalling to markets that we are serious about rapid progress
towards net zero.
“The Chancellor had an opportunity in the year the UK hosts the
UN climate talks to show global leadership. He has utterly failed
to do that.”
