Home > Press releases > Archived press releases > 2000 > Portillo condemned for climate tax u-turn
31 August 2000
The Conservative proposal to scrap the Climate Change Levy is “a dangerous and ill-informed u-turn on the environment” says Friends of the Earth.
Reacting to the announcement this morning Friends of the Earth's Climate Campaigner Mark Johnston said:
“The Tories are making a dangerous and ill-informed U-turn on the environment.Scrapping the Levy would blow a huge hole in the UK's programme to cut emissions of climate changing gases. The Shadow Chancellor's claim that it will make no serious contribution to achieving the UK's international is just flat wrong. In fact this move would threaten pollution cuts of up to 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, about a third of the anticipated annual reductions.
“Producing this half-baked idea in the run up to the General Election leaves the Conservatives environmental credentials in tatters. Instead they should look to the future, and develop policies to help British business capture a share in the emerging multi-billion pound market in new environmental technologies - protecting the environment, creating jobs and maintaining a prosperous economy.
ENDS
The Climate Change Levy will be introduced in the Spring next year for all energy users except the domestic sector. It its first year it is expected to raise £1.1bn, all of which will be returned to employers through reducing labour costs or utilised for renewable and energy efficiency schemes.
The incentive on organisations to use less energy is expected to yield annual savings in carbon dioxide emissions of 2 million tonnes. Additional agreements with the biggest polluters, who in return get an 80%discount, is expected to yield a further 2 million tonnes reduction each year.
For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
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