He sounded green. He seemed concerned. He even made a pilgrimage to the North Pole. So there is no way we should allow Cameron to get away with dropping sustainability pledges next week. The new shadow BIS team should move quickly to slam the Tory Lib Dem Government’s sham green credentials and prove that Labour is more serious about sustainability than Cameron has ever been.
Industry, NGOs and trade unions are all concerned that the comprehensive spending review will include cuts to feed-in tariffs, a move that could scare off investors from UK renewable energy initiatives including solar power. Green investment, green business and green jobs, which the UK desperately needs, could all move overseas.
Feed–in tariffs guarantee small scale producers of renewable and low carbon electricity a long term and fixed price for their energy that is above market levels. The introduction of feed-in tariffs back in April led to a significant increase in the installation of solar panels and other domestic renewables. Under the original plans, feed-in tariffs were to be set firm for a few years before being reviewed. This timescale was set out to ensure companies and home owners had a clear incentive to invest in solar panels and other renewable energy kit.
