Reacting to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review today, Friends of the Earth’s head of policy, Mike Childs, said:
“The Chancellor is right: decarbonising our economy isn’t just good for the planet, it’s a massive economic opportunity too.
“Cleaner air, warmer homes, lower bills, stronger energy security, and thousands of new jobs are just some of the rewards that bold climate action can bring.
“While we welcome investment into warm homes, buses and trains, the government must go further and faster. New taxes in the Autumn Budget that make polluters pay for the damage they have caused could better fund the vital investments needed to build a greener, fairer future for us all.
“Ministers must publish a new climate plan later this year to deliver on legally-binding targets and international commitments, but it risks being undermined by spending on new roads and airports while climate solutions face under-investment.
“Our natural world is also in crisis. Despite modest investment in environmental farming, trees and peatland restoration, the reality is that DEFRA is still underfunded, farmers need more money, and planning reforms that strip away wildlife protections will accelerate nature's decline. Britain’s natural world deserves better - and so do we.”
ENDS