Budget thinking

What a waste. The government really had a chance in this budget to keep the building industry ticking over, save people from fuel poverty, cut unemployment and save the planet.

Instead, they have found a mere £375 million to ‘support’ energy and resource efficiency in businesses, public buildings and homes over the next two years, and £70 million for decentralised clean energy. The £375 million includes £100 millon for councils to build energy efficiency social housing. That is a drop in the ocean – billions are needed for retrofitting alone. Other measures mentioned in the budget, such as wind turbines and carbon capture and storage, will take years to get off the ground.

It seems obvious that the Labour government don’t really believe that unless they act now - this year - to cut carbon emissions, we are looking at a desperate scenario by 2100. Economist Nicholas Stern, author of the influential (and frightening) Stern Report on climate change, reckons that the UK should be spending 20 per cent of the economic stimulus package on green projects – China has spent 34 per cent and Germany 19 per cent. In the UK, the figure is closer to 7 per cent and this budget has done little to change that. For all Mr Darling’s talk about green jobs and eco-priorities, this budget is a failure to act.