The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his 2020 budget this week, and there are mixed responses from environmental campaigners.
The government has pledged to allocate an additional £1 Billion for research and development into green initiatives and Mr Sunak claims he is pushing towards a low carbon economy. Tax will be reduced on electricity, much of which is now provided by green energy companies, while polluting gas will have duties increased. The tax break on red diesel has also been lifted for industrial vehicles (apart from agriculture and rail) in a bid to reduce pollution. Campaigners have also been delighted to hear that the government is investing more in flood defences, with a further £5.2 pledged to protect over 300,000 homes between now and 2026. Recycling initiatives, tree planting programmes and peat bog preservation schemes have also been good news for the environment and wildlife around the UK.
However, environmentalists are concerned that the government is contracting itself on green issues by investing in a huge road building programme over the coming years.
Mike Childs, Head of Policy at Friends Of The Earth, Mike said: “This Budget contains a massive road-building programme which completely destroys any pretence of UK government leadership ahead of this years’ crucial climate summit.”
Full details of the budget can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2020-documents/budget-2020