healthier, happier and richer

The UK coalition government has said that it will be the greenest ever UK government. Despite the UK’s high profile on climate on the world stage, that would not actually be very difficult. But yesterday’s Budget was not a good start.

This morning the Green Fiscal Commission is publishing a report based on extensive research and economic modelling, which demonstrates that increasing taxes on energy use and other environmental ‘bads’, and reducing them on labour and income, would have both climate and economic benefits.

Today, the general election campaign will almost certainly begin formally, though, in practice, it has been well underway all year.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, today gave his pre-budget report to parliament. This included some good climate measures.

The demand to ‘make the polluter pay’ by putting a price on the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced has been a major point of discussion and debate across Europe since the mid-1980s. This article summarises carbon and energy taxes existing in European countries and how effective they have been.

Despite the grim economic context, the UK Government managed to find some extra money to help control climate change.