Queen's speech: Environment

ePolitix.com Stakeholders respond to the government's plans for a Climate Change Bill.

 

Stakeholder Response: Woodland Trust

A spokesman said: "We welcome the announcement of a Climate Change Bill. This is a first step in the right direction, but it is vital that the concentration on a 60 percent cut in emissions by 2050 does not divert attention away from the urgent need to cut emissions year by year.

"Unless we have strict annual targets for cuts the UK is never going to find itself on a low carbon path.

"The energy white paper which is due to be published next March will be a sign of how ambitious the government is going to be in terms of cutting emissions from energy.

"It is important that the white paper focuses on investment in renewable energy such as biomass and also includes measures to increase the proportion of heat from renewable sources rather than just focussing on electricity generation.

"As well as urgent action on emissions reduction, it is essential that the government takes steps to help the natural world adapt to the climate change that is already inevitable due to past  and current emissions.

"Protection and restoration of important semi-natural habitats such as ancient woodland is vital as is creation of new habitats to buffer and extend them.

"We must also take action to make land use in the wider countryside more sustainable. This will help to ensure that wildlife and habitats can adapt to climate change as well as providing a huge number of social and economic benefits along the way.

"We are concerned about the plans announced to further reform the planning system.

"Land use planning is an extremely important tool in pushing forward action on climate change and also protecting biodiversity and improving our quality of life.

"The planning system is just starting to settle down after a series of botched reforms from the last Planning Act in 2004 and it is vital that any further reforms ensure that environmental protection is strengthened rather stripped away."

 

Stakeholder Response: Federation of Small Businesses

A spokesman said: "Small firms recognise the need to protect the environment.  A healthy economy will generate funds that can then be invested in research and development on cleaner ways of working. 

"A blunt instrument such as blanket taxes will not address climate change effectively.  We have learnt this from the Climate Change Levy, which is nothing more than a tax that does not change behaviour.

"More taxes in the same format will simply hold back the UK economy – costing jobs and businesses – while other countries thrive.

"Businesses understand that economic growth and action to tackle climate concerns can go hand in hand.  The government should use its Climate Change Bill to demonstrate that it will do the same."

 

Stakeholder Response: Nuclear Industry Association

NIA chief executive Keith Parker said: "I congratulate the government on putting the UK in the forefront of international efforts to tackle climate change.

"Its commitment to setting a long-term mechanism for carbon pricing and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions will create a framework in which business can prosper without causing environmental damage.

"March's energy white paper that will include a policy framework for new nuclear build will be part of the delivery mechanism.

"By creating the right conditions for investment in low carbon technologies, the government's measures will ensure that nuclear energy continues to be part of the solution to the challenge of global climate change."

 

Stakeholder Response: CPRE

CPRE policy director Neil Sinden said: "We welcome measures announced today in the Queen's speech to tackle climate change.

"But any further reforms to the planning system need to strengthen, and not undermine, its environmental role.

"Effective planning of land use and development should be central to tackling the growing challenge of climate change.

"This means planning to promote urban renewal and protect the countryside, and for new development to be designed and located in ways that reduce our energy needs.

"What’s needed is further investment in, and political support for, the planning system – rather than changes which could reduce people’s say in planning decisions and undermine its ability to protect the environment."

 

Stakeholder Response: ACCA

 

A spokesman said: "The commitment to cut the UK's emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 is ambitious.

"ACCA believes that green taxes need to be ring-fenced and actually go towards paying for initiatives to fight global warming.

"It would be more acceptable to taxpayers if their hard-earned money is used for specific environmental measures, not just for general revenue-raising."

 

Stakeholder Response: Association of British Insurers

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

 

Jane Milne, the ABI’s Head of Property Insurance, said: "Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that Britain, and the world, faces.

 

"We support the government’s plans to set targets and establish the Carbon Committee to give advice on reducing carbon emissions, but firm action is needed too.

"Climate change means, amongst other things, that the risk of flooding will increase. Managing the risk will enable flood insurance to remain widely available.

 

"Urgent action is needed here – we believe that government spending on flood defences needs to increase by 10% a year to £750 million by 2011 to deal with that risk."

 

 

Stakeholder Response: IFAW

A spokesman said: "The Climate Change Bill has the potential to help preserve and maintain important habitats and marine environments for animals as well as benefiting people.

"However, IFAW is disappointed by the absence of a Marine Bill, despite a draft Bill being included in last year’s speech.

"IFAW has welcomed the progress the government has made in the last couple of years towards introducing a Marine Bill, but is genuinely concerned that the timetable for this important piece of legislation is now slipping.

"It is vital that this Bill is introduced as a priority to ensure better protection of marine wildlife and effective management of the seas around the UK.

Sadly, it is not just marine wildlife in UK waters that is in need of protection. This year alone, over 350,000 harp seals, of which 97 per cent were under the age of three months, have been cruelly slaughtered in Canada's commercial seal hunt.

"This is not just a matter for the Canadian government. Europe remains a significant market for seal skins from the hunt. In 2004, the UK accounted for 31 per cent of the value of seal skin imports into the EU. Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, regulations aimed at prohibiting the import, export and marketing of seal derived products.

"The UK must not get left behind other European countries taking action to end the trade in seal products.

"Therefore, IFAW is urging MPs to put their name forward for the private members' bill ballot and, if successful, introduce a bill to prohibit the trade in seal products in the UK.

"Such a step would enjoy widespread public support with 73 per cent of people saying they would like to see the trade banned [ORB poll for Respect for Animals, 2005]. It would also send a clear and powerful signal to the Canadian government that the UK wants nothing to do with this barbaric slaughter."

 

Stakeholder Response: Construction Products Association

A spokesman said: "The Construction Products Association welcomes the government's announcement today in the Queen's speech of a Climate Change Bill.

"The Association heeds the warning of the Stern report of the economic impact that climate change poses and that governments around the world must require challenging commitments from all parts of their economies.

"The Association believes that sustainable construction can only be delivered by the involvement of responsible manufacturers willing to innovate and invest. Product manufacturers are therefore very much part of the solution and to show our commitment we have announced the launch of a Low and Zero Carbon Buildings Technology Group to lead the development of innovative products to deliver this.

"The Association would expect any targets or reporting procedures brought into existence by the Bill to be consistent with existing emission reductions initiatives. Many in the sector are already participants in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme with its five year targets, caps and stringent annual reporting and auditing requirements.

"Others have commitments under climate change agreements. We would not want a completely new set of targets and reporting procedures to be created.

"We support the proposal to expand the idea of targets and annual emissions reporting to other sectors of the economy. Existing buildings account for 40 per cent of total carbon emissions and we would expect them to be subjected to the same rigorous monitoring, auditing and reporting criteria that exists within the EUETS.

"The proposal for an independent Carbon Committee seems to be a good idea in principle as it would remove the question of targets from party politics, much as the monetary policy committee does for bank interest rates.

"However we await the details of how it would work it practice. One question is how the committee would relate to the recently formed Government Office of Climate Change, as there is perhaps the potential for conflict.

"An area where the Association believes the government could achieve large gains in emissions reductions, is to improve the energy efficiency of the nation's homes which generate over a quarter of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.

"As outlined in our pre-Budget submission to the chancellor, we propose that households undertaking improvement to their home should be entitled to a three year discount on their council tax - equivalent to their property being dropped by one tax band.

"A similar temporary council tax reduction could be applied to new homes built to the high standards set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes. This would provide a powerful marketing incentive to encourage house builders to incorporate higher energy efficiency standards in their developments.

"In general, the Association welcomes tax reforms introduced to raise the UK's contribution towards tackling greenhouse gas emissions, but these must be made whilst safeguarding national competitiveness.

"There will be little point achieving UK emissions reductions by forcing industry out of the UK and into countries with far less stringent approaches to emissions reductions.

"In this respect we support the government's activities to get international agreement in responding to the threat of climate change.

"We also welcome the government's commitment to reform the planning system. This is an issue of crucial importance to our Industry and we look forward to the response to our submission to Kate Barker's review of land use planning.

"Removing delays and uncertainties from the planning process is essential to helping industry improve its competitiveness and we look forward to her report in the coming weeks."