by Tan Copsey
Here in the UK Gordon Brown has ever so artfully staked out a position for himself straddling the grey-green divide, un-leashing a pre-budget report which broadly hinted at the type of Prime-Minister he’ll be. This came on the back of last weeks Climate Change Bill announced by the outgoing Tony Blair. It is fair to say that the policies proposed by these two charming men have been greeted with a mixture of scepticism and outright anger amongst us environmental types. Although moves towards compulsory carbon quotas, a more inclusive carbon trading regime, and the promotion of zero-carbon homes are small positive steps. In this piece I, like most here at oD, am looking to the future and will concentrate on the juicy environmental bits of Brown’s speech – which of course can be read as an application form, beamed to UK voters.
All right, to work… Brown reiterated that his key focus would be to pursue action through international agreements. Whilst this is laudable in theory, it reads to most like an excuse for not doing enough nationally. If Britain really is to be a global leader state on environmental issues then it must actually set an example, rather than just talking about it. These measures proposed belie the fact that Brown was focussed on playing politics, insulating himself against being accused of being ‘too green’ and attempting to steal Tory votes angry at David Cameron dressing the party up in Green tinted pajamas. What to me seems deeply deeply sad is not just that Brown will likely be the next Prime Minister of Britain, but that he is so intent on rejecting some of the more interesting and forward thinking ideas within the Labour party - David Milliband had previously submitted a much bolder proposal for green taxes, as well as investigating a much more radical, and potentially more effective, idea of imposing individual carbon allowances.
In reaction the Tories and the Lib Dems also made legitimate points that the increase in green taxes would not be used to lower taxes elsewhere and that the revenue raised would not be properly hypothecated back into pursuing more extensive emissions reduction measures.
Still within the package announced there was at least encouraging signs that a move towards a more inclusive corporate carbon trading regime was imminent. I would argue that this in itself is an encouraging move – especially if it reinforces moves towards trading in other parts of the world - and there are some encouraging signs that this is happening globally. Point Carbon points out how Business New Zealand is set to investigate the implementation of something similar in NZ with a view perhaps towards creating a market, not dissimilar to the ETS, between NZ and Australia. Now if only a global regime could be enacted, no more would we have to deal with the age old excuse of those in Grey that our economies might ‘leak’ as businesses head to warmer, less regulated climes.
Anyway long story short I, like so many others, am frustrated and angry with yet another example of a government failing to match rhetoric with reality on an issue so much more crucial to our future security that this weeks other brilliant British environmental move– renewing Trident.
