“The Great Green Betrayal”

Environmental groups are accusing UK Prime Minster, Gordon Brown of the “Great Green Betrayal”. They are arguing that his government’s green policies are standing still or even going backwards.

First, environmental taxation, which could help curb greenhouse gas emissions and much other pollution, is actually falling rather than rising – and falling substantially, a powerful all-party group of MPs revealed.

Second, the Government has no plans to intervene in the aviation sector to cut rapidly growing emissions, Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, made clear.

And third, national road pricing as a means of curbing traffic and cutting down emissions from cars is similarly not on the agenda, Ms Kelly disclosed.

Green groups reacted fiercely to the Government’s apparent lack of drive to tackle these issues. “The Government is simply failing to take the decisive decisions necessary to secure a safe future for our children in the coming decades,” said John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK. “Considering all the fine words that have come from them on the importance of acting on climate change, this is a huge betrayal.”