First off, the Coalition pledged to axe plans for a third runway at Heathrow and it indeed did. It also staved off suggestions for further runways at both Gatwick and Stansted however there have been murmurs of expansion at regional airports such as Luton. Conversely, the Coalition didn't cover itself in glory when it made plans to sell of some of the UK's last remaining woodland. It was marketed under the flailing idea of the 'Big Society' by returning public woodland to the communities -- the clue is in the word 'public'. What resulted was a policy lambasted from all sides of the political spectrum and a scrapping of the idea very much in the fashion of a dog with its tail between its legs.
In the now infamous 'cull of the quangos' sustainable development bodies were replaced by seven page documents and groups like the Energy Saving Trust lost 50% of its budget whilst the Carbon Trust lost 40%. So much for the pledge to prioritise sustainability for 'we must live within our environmental means as well as our economic.' However, the Coalition has committed £860 million to the Renewable Heat Incentive which rewards those who adopt more carbon-zero methods of heat production such as solar and biomass. In the 'age of austerity' securing this kind of funding from the Treasury was a ruddy good achievement.
The rise of bovine tuberculosis has led to proposals of a mass badger cull to dissipate any further effects upon the cattle industry. However, the plans were supposed to be released a couple of months ago but weren't due possibly due to the high levels of emotion on both sides. It may result in another back-down by the government like we saw on the forest selling proposals.
Another reasonably ruddy good achievement in securing funding from the Treasury was the £3 billion for the Green Investment Bank but this has unfortunately not operated in the way a commercial bank could have and as a result failed to capitalise on possible opportunities such as Green ISAs. The GIB still exists but needs shackles removing if it is going to run properly and not just become another token of green credibility for the government.
To finish with, it is expected that the government is going to announce in the coming weeks that it has met the conditions of the 10:10 campaign it pledged to which was to reduce emissions by 10% in 2010. It is also in the decision-making process of whether it will sign up to 25:5 -- a pledge to cut emissions in the public sector by 25% over the expected 5 year life time of this parliament.
In the now infamous 'cull of the quangos' sustainable development bodies were replaced by seven page documents and groups like the Energy Saving Trust lost 50% of its budget whilst the Carbon Trust lost 40%. So much for the pledge to prioritise sustainability for 'we must live within our environmental means as well as our economic.' However, the Coalition has committed £860 million to the Renewable Heat Incentive which rewards those who adopt more carbon-zero methods of heat production such as solar and biomass. In the 'age of austerity' securing this kind of funding from the Treasury was a ruddy good achievement.
The rise of bovine tuberculosis has led to proposals of a mass badger cull to dissipate any further effects upon the cattle industry. However, the plans were supposed to be released a couple of months ago but weren't due possibly due to the high levels of emotion on both sides. It may result in another back-down by the government like we saw on the forest selling proposals.
Another reasonably ruddy good achievement in securing funding from the Treasury was the £3 billion for the Green Investment Bank but this has unfortunately not operated in the way a commercial bank could have and as a result failed to capitalise on possible opportunities such as Green ISAs. The GIB still exists but needs shackles removing if it is going to run properly and not just become another token of green credibility for the government.
To finish with, it is expected that the government is going to announce in the coming weeks that it has met the conditions of the 10:10 campaign it pledged to which was to reduce emissions by 10% in 2010. It is also in the decision-making process of whether it will sign up to 25:5 -- a pledge to cut emissions in the public sector by 25% over the expected 5 year life time of this parliament.
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| Nick & Dave: Eco-Warriors |
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