The head of the European division of Tata Steel of India has warned that a planned £1.2bn investment programme by his company in Britain could be put at risk by the UK government’s “over the top” climate change policies directed at heavy industry. --Peter Marsh,
Financial Times, 17 October 2011
THE EU’s green energy campaign could double household electricity bills by 2050, a report warned yesterday. It predicted 20 years of rising electricity prices as Europe comes to rely on wind farms for up to half its electricity, compared to 5 per cent today. The report from the European Commission says bills will rise by 50 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050. --John Ingham,
Daily Express, 18 October 2011
Yesterday Simon Walker, the new director general of the Institute of Directors, said it was ‘simply not credible’ for the Government politely to ask energy firms to curb bills. He warned that the current push for green energy is driving up bills, saying: ‘Current policies risk locking us into cleaner and more expensive energy, when the goal should be cleaner and cheaper energy. ‘What may have been tolerable in an age of affluence is far less realistic today. Undermining the UK’s competitiveness through high energy costs would do no favours to either economic recovery or the environment.’ --Sean Poulter,
Daily Mail, 18 October 2011
George Osborne’s U-turn is causing a row with the Liberal Democrats, whose vainglorious ambition is to turn the UK into the ‘greenest country in Europe’. Leave aside the damage to businesses and the fact that the science of climate change remains questionable. The real scandal is that ordinary domestic consumers – particularly the elderly on fixed incomes – are still having to pay these green taxes, adding to the already unbearable burden of rising prices. The sooner these ludicrous green taxes are scrapped, the better for everyone. –-Editorial,
Daily Mail, 18 October 2011
The outlandishly expensive target for “renewable” energy supply, especially wind turbines, imposed on the companies by the political class is also a major factor in price rises. And it is not only domestic consumers who are being hurt – so are businesses. And at a time of high unemployment that is unforgivable. It is time for ministers to cut the cost of their green energy targets in recognition of the economic emergency facing families and businesses. -–Editorial,
Daily Express, 18 October 2011
Abandoning high-priced green energy programmes together with the exploration of cheap British shale gas would bring down energy costs, perhaps by as much as a third, and kick-start the UK economy. Given coalition constraints, it remains doubtful, at least for the time being, whether the “greenest government ever” is ready or indeed capable of grabbing a golden opportunity with both hands. --Benny Peiser,
City A.M. 18 October 2011
There’s no point forcing energy intensive industries to relocate to other countries – that would only harm our economy without reducing global carbon emissions. The current policies are endangering the economy at a particularly difficult time. I hope the Chancellor will as soon as possible spell out exactly what he proposes to do to prevent this. The real need is not to have these absurd commitments and then have to run around bribing vulnerable businesses at taxpayers’ expense so as to prevent them from closing down or leaving the country – it is to amend the [emissions] targets. We must make it quite clear that we are not going there if the rest of the world isn’t. –-Nigel Lawson,
Daily Mail, 18 October 2011
