Some are beginning to argue that the environment is a luxury we can't afford. They couldn't be more wrongNorman Baker, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 February 2012
David Cameron this week strongly defended onshore wind power, saying that he is determined to seize the economic opportunities in renewable energy supply chains, a position I strongly support.
Last year I launched a white paper on local transport, Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon. As far as I am concerned, they are two sides of the same coin. Yet with increasing concerns about the prospects for the economy, not least with the chill winds blowing from the Eurozone, some are now beginning to argue that the environment is a luxury we can't afford. They couldn't be more wrong.
The way to grow jobs is not by propping up the past, but by investing in the future. At the Department for Transport, we have made it clear that we need to do all we can to decarbonise road transport. Our firm commitment to low-carbon vehicles is beginning to pay off, not simply in lower carbon emissions but in terms of investment in jobs for the future. We will shortly see manufacture of the new electric Nissan Leaf begin in Sunderland, safeguarding 360 jobs and creating 200 more with the production of the new lithium ion battery.
Our ambitious investment in rail, particularly in electrification, is creating jobs today and cutting carbon tomorrow. Our Green Bus Fund, now in its third round, is not just cleaning up our buses, but proving a real boon for British bus manufacturers, both in terms of domestic supply and export potential. And our record spend on local sustainable transport is cleaning up our cities and boosting their economies.
So embracing green is good for jobs. The environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, hit the nail on the head at a Rio+20 Earth summit event recently, when she said: "Being green is integral to sustainable economic growth."
The simple fact is that while much of the economy is struggling, there is a growing demand for green products. Private companies invested £2.5bn in renewable energy projects in the seven months from last April, with 11,619 new jobs being created, often in areas of higher unemployment such as the north-east, an area which has also enthusiastically embraced the move to electric vehicles.
Overall, Britain has the world's sixth largest low-carbon and environmental goods sector, employing over 900,000 people and growing by 4% a year. As a government we are determined to build on this using the British genius for invention and innovation to capitalise on the low-carbon future the world is embracing....
More then Interesting developments !Ak Malten, Pro Peaceful Energy Use
We must capitalise on a low-carbon future
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