Staff Reporter
By Martin Tye
JUST how serious are our elected governments taking climate change?
You be the judge. Readers of this column know my thoughts and plenty of you get in touch.
Two centuries ago Great Britain led the global industrial revolution. Today, Boris Johnson’s government claims to be leading the charge towards net zero by 2050 with its much publicised new Green Revolution.
In November of last year Boris and Alok Sharma, secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy published a 10-point plan of action.
It went like this:
1-Advancing Offshore Wind
2-Driving the Growth of Low Carbon Hydrogen
3-Delivering new and advanced Nuclear Power
4-Accelerating the shift to Zero Emission Vehicles
5-Green public transport
6-Jet zero and green ships
7-Greener buildings
8-Investing in Carbon Capture,Usage and Storage
9-Protecting our Natural Environment
10-Green finance and innovation
I fully agree with all of this. However the problem is seeing these words turned into action.
The UK government’s own advisory Climate Change Committee states that 1% of GDP needs to be spent every year to ensure that net zero targets are met.
But the WWF reports that in the March 2021 budget green policies add up to 0.01% of GDP.
Talk is cheap, actions are weak. And some government proposals fly in the face of going green.
How can a new coal mine even be considered in Cumbria??
How can a new oil field be on the cards off Shetland??
Every day we see the effects of global warming. Governments need to step up now and make difficult and costly decisions.
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction.
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