Environmental campaigners congratulate Alan
April 22nd 2009
The following press release is from the Sustainable Energy Partnership, which is reproduced below:
Environmental Campaigners congratulate Alan Whitehead MP - Initiative will lead to investment, create local green jobs and help with climate change and fuel poverty
The Sustainable Energy Partnership (SEP) today congratulated Labour MP for Southampton Test, Dr Alan Whitehead, for signing House of Commons Early Day Motion No: 1010. The cross party motion recognises the need to use green energy to protect the environment and slow down climate change and supports the Private Members Bill introduced by Peter Ainsworth MP which aims to get rid of some of the disincentives and blockages to local, green energy production.
The Bill
- Requires the existing microgeneration strategy to be updated and to focus on existing housing stock and include a fiscal strategy for developing microgeneration and energy efficiency
- Requires the new renewable energy tariff (which helps householders and small businesses to obtain payment for surplus energy generated by microgeneration) to be fully implemented
- Removes ‘red tape’ planning barriers and other disincentives to the installation of microgeneration and energy efficiency
Ron Bailey, Parliamentary Adviser to SEP and the Micro Power Council said “We congratulate Dr Whitehead for supporting this important Bill and being at the forefront of new steps to combat climate change by supporting local, green energy and look forward to his continuing support for the Bill”.
The Test MP said: “Because of the twin threats of climate change and fuel poverty, on which I have been a long-term campaigner, I am glad to be able to support this Bill. If adopted, the Bill will introduce new polices to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide – moves which are essential to the UK achieving its carbon reduction targets. The UK has been a world leader on tackling climate change through legislation; I hope that the Government will continue to do so”.
Further information from: Ron Bailey, Parliamentary Adviser 07951 761229
Notes to editor:
House of Commons Early Day Motion No: 1010, GREEN ENERGY BILL
That this House supports the provisions contained within the Green Energy Bill introduced by the hon. Member for East Surrey and a cross-party group of hon. Members, on promoting the revision of the Government's microgeneration strategy, reforming planning law, and exempting microgeneration developments and energy efficiency measures from a potential council tax and business rate penalty, thereby ensuring that a range of measures designed to promote green energy through small scale renewable and sustainable sources will enable people and businesses to benefit from generating their own energy; recognises the need to use green energy to protect the environment and to slow down climate change; and therefore calls on the Government to support the Bill.
Peter Ainsworth MP is the Conservative MP for East Surrey and was the Conservative Party’s Opposition spokesman on the environment. www.peterainsworth.com/
More information on the Bill and the campaign can be found at www.micropower.co.uk
The Sustainable Energy Partnership represents all the major environmental and ‘fuel poverty’ NGOs
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