UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is due to give his first major speech on the environment today, raising the prospect of tougher domestic targets on carbon emissions.
He will say action on climate change is urgent, but that new green industries could create thousands of jobs. The BBC reports that it is understood he has been persuaded by the Department of the Environment’s arguments that Britain must meet European obligations on wind, wave and solar power.
How ironic then that grants for home installation of solar panels and wind turbines have plummeted, new figures show.
Household payments under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme have tumbled from £536,000 a month before the rules of the scheme were changed in May, to £219,000 afterwards – a fall of 59 per cent. The number of householders getting grants has fallen 19 per cent.
This is classic Gordon Brown, he wants to be seen as a “green campaign hero” and so he goes and effectively “cuts” the payouts to households under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. So once again we get the “pain” without the “gain”.