News story

Response to The Independent newspaper regarding government green policy

Edward Davey's letter to The Independent newspaper rebutting claims made in their article published 6 August 2013.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Sir

The global climate change investment survey you report (Tues 6 August ‘Green policy failure choking off billions in private investment’) highlights the need for governments to put in place the right conditions to drive private money into low carbon projects. I am pleased to say that is exactly what the UK is doing. Indeed there is no criticism in the survey of UK Government policy.

The survey sets out the need for “consistent legal frameworks regulating greenhouse gas emissions and incentivising clean energy investment”. This is what the Energy Bill before Parliament does, with the potential to create 250,000 jobs in the energy sector by 2020.

We now have two and a half critical years leading to the end of 2015 to get the international politics aligned. Britain will lead the argument for low carbon economics, by demonstrating how it can work at home and succeeding in this global race for a cleaner, greener future.

Edward Davey

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

Published 7 August 2013