WITH jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber being lost faster than anywhere else outside London, the recent Budget looks like yet another wasted opportunity to kick start a new low-carbon economy.
A target of a 34 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2020 was recommended by the Government’s own Sustainable Development Commission, and has been accepted by the Chancellor in the Budget.
But when it comes to action, Labour’s courage has failed yet again.
The commission also said we needed a £30 billion Green stimulus to work towards achieving this critical target.
Some 800,000 jobs could be created as a result, but the Chancellor only allocated an inadequate £1 billion to climate change measures.
So we can expect minimal progress to be made on this issue, despite the urgent need to tackle job losses and climate change with “joined up” policies.
Martin Hemingway, Lead Green Party candidate for the European Elections, St Chad’s Drive, Leeds.
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