The UK government’s “green technology challenge”, signposted by prime minister Tony Blair and due to be launched later this year, has been confirmed by Chancellor Gordon Brown’s budget. The government estimates the global green market at £440 billion annually by 2010, £150 billion in solar alone, and wants Britain to be leading player in what it sees as a green revolution. But Mr Blair’s initiative has already run into trouble with environmental campaigners who see it as a half hearted gesture in the light of the reduction in petrol and deisel fuel taxes. The reductions, they say will lead inevitably to higher levels of CO2 emissions and work directly against the effects of a special tax regime for companies investing in the next generation of environmental technologies. The initiative will offer 100 per cent tax relief for investment in green projects and has been welcomed by The Environmental Industries Commission who see it as a boost for the £12 billion UK environmental industry, overcoming barriers to companies investing in air and water pollution controls. But Greenpeace said the duty cuts undermined Tony Blair’s environmental ambitions.
°UK energy minister Peter Hain has announced proposals for a fast track consents route for companies setting up offshore wind farms. Currently developers must make up to seven approaches to different bodies to obtain the necessary consents; Mr Hain proposes a “one stop shop” at the DTI (Dept of Trade and Industry) that will create a single application process and manage the whole business of consents as well as providing guidance and helping with problem solving during the process.
