*Sandys Calls For Greater Support and Consistency For The Green Economy*
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Laura Sandys MP, Member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, has called on the Government to provide the right fiscal framework to support an ambitious energy plan for low carbon growth in an event at Policy Exchange yesterday.
Laura said: "Critics presume 'going green' is a philosophical approach to achieving a 'sandals' economy. But transitioning to a low carbon economic model will be the cheaper option in the medium term when fossil fuels rocket in price and will protect businesses from volatility, while creating jobs. Greening the economy is not a "nice to have" but a total necessity."
"We have a choice in what impact our fiscal measures can support. All energy prices will cost money, so either we re-engineer our economy to compete with the forward looking, future proofing countries like Korea, China and Japan, or we can hold onto an outdated energy model that won't cost us any less but will leave us economically stranded in the past."
"But ultimately, we will drop the word low carbon/renewable because low carbon will be the norm. Instead, the term "fossil" will be used explicitly. There will be widespread recognition that low-input technologies are as much about economic efficiencies, resilience and a modern economic model as they are about decarbonisation in the face of climate change. There is a total convergence on what is good for business and what is good for the environment."
In her speech, Laura raised the following key points:
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1. "Going Green" makes business sense: Going green is not about 'hair shirts', or 'sandal' economies. Green measures will increase productivity, improve output, support greater competitiveness in our manufacturing and processing while sustaining a resilient economy that is lean and keen for the future.
2. We are not on our own in de-carbonising our economy: South Korea, China, Japan and other countries are placing renewable energy and energy efficiencies at the core of their industrial growth strategies. By putting in place the right fiscal framework for green growth, the Government will not be "going it alone" but participating in an international economic cultural change that is already thriving.
3. Clear about the cost of energy: Government must be clear with the household and business consumer that whilst energy demand can be reduced, the unit price of energy will only ever increase. By highlighting the increasingly volatile and high cost of traditional fossil fuels, it will help demonstrate to consumers the imperative need to dramatically improve energy efficiency throughout our whole economy.
4. Energy security through domestic production: We cannot continue to rely on imports from politicised countries to sustain our energy needs. While North Sea Oil and Gas will continue to play a part of our energy mix, these are finite resources and so our economic model must look to domestic renewable sources to ensure UK energy security and energy sovereignty.