[News] from [guardian.co.uk]
[Environment > Manifestos]
Labour 'cannot meet its pledge of 400,000 new green jobs'
｛英国労働党、新グリーン政策では４０万人の雇用創出公約は達成不可能。｝
Government forecast of slower growth in eco sector belies manifesto promise, say critics
｛批評家によると、環境セクターの緩慢な成長の中、政府見通しはマニフェスト公約に矛盾。｝
Tim Webb
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 April 2010 00.07 BST
Article history
Labour has been accused of misleading voters over its pledge to create 400,000 "green jobs" by 2015 after the government's own figures last month slashed growth forecasts for the sector, making the target almost impossible to achieve.
The jobs target originally came from a report commissioned by the government on growth prospects for the green sector, which was published last March as part of its vaunted "low-carbon industrial strategy". But last month, the same consultancy forecast that the green economy would grow more than 33% slower than it had predicted last year.
The report, which was not publicised but has been obtained by the Observer, also found that just 1,675 extra green jobs were created in the year to last March, making the 2015 target even more unlikely to be reached.
Labour has put its policy of supporting low carbon industries such as wind turbine manufacturers at the heart of its economic policy. Business secretary Lord Mandelson and energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband have argued that promoting these new industries will reduce the economy's dependence on the City and spread wealth more evenly around Britain.
But Simon Hughes, shadow energy and climate change secretary for the Liberal Democrats, said Labour's failure to change its pledge in line with its own revised official forecasts was another example of the party being more interested in presentation than delivery.
"Ed Miliband often talks a good talk, but whether on air quality, renewable energy, biodiversity, fuel poverty or zero-carbon schools, missed targets have been one of the clearest features of this Labour government," he said.
Under the government's criteria, the green economy includes firms involved in sectors such as renewable energy, environmental consultancy, waste, fuel-efficient cars, carbon trading and energy efficiency. Last month's government-commissioned report from the Innovas consultancy estimated that the sector would grow on average by just under 3.5% a year up to 2015, compared with its forecast in March 2009 of 5.5% average annual growth. It blamed the recession, which has hit manufacturers particularly hard, for the downgraded estimate. It also said that job creation targets were missed for the year to March last year.
A Labour spokeswoman admitted that the target for the green economy to employ an extra 400,000 workers, up from about 900,000 now, was ambitious but said it was still achievable. She did not explain why the party's manifesto had not reduced its jobs target in the light of the lower growth forecasts.
The report also shows that the number of green jobs in the north-east and east of England, earmarked by the government as a hubs for renewable industries, fell last year. Firms involved in carbon finance, largely based in the City, saw the biggest expansion.
Manufacturing employers' group the EEF said that the north-east and east of England faced a "make or break" year as companies such as General Electric and Siemens decided whether to go ahead with plans to build turbine manufacturing facilities. Roger Salomone, the EEF's energy adviser, said these regions needed to maintain a strong industrial base in order to attract investment.
He added: "When governments make these kinds of job targets I am always sceptical … It would be churlish to be overly critical of the low-carbon industrial strategy as a lot of progress is being made. But it's crucial that government does everything to see through these investments over the next decade."
[News > Politics > General election 2010]
Labour and Liberal Democrats launch green manifestos
｛英国労働党と民主党、グリーンマニフェストを公開。｝
Labour targets low-carbon 'economic areas' in each region while Lib Dems back renewable energy and emissions cuts
｛労働党は各地区に低炭素’経済特区’を、民主党は再生可能エネルギーと排出量削減を重点目標に。｝
Juliette Jowit
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 April 2010 11.03 BST
Article history
{{Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem shadow climate and energy spokesman.}
{Photograph}: Christian Sinibaldi}
Labour and the Liberal Democrats today published their green manifestos, highlighting wide differences between the two parties on how the UK will be powered in the future.
Labour announced support for new low-carbon "economic areas" in each region, and 5,000 new apprentices in the clean-tech economy. The Lib Dems gave more details about their ambitious main manifesto pledge to create a zero-carbon Britain by the middle of the century.
In addition to their earlier promise to generate all electricity from renewable sources – and at least three-quarters from offshore wind and marine or tidal power – the Lib Dems said Britain would have to slash emissions from transport, heating buildings, industry and agriculture. The UK could offset up to 10% of emissions by buying credits from overseas projects.
Labour sources said the pledge was an "empty gesture" as MPs had already voted for an 80% cut in emissions by 2050. Last week, the party attacked the Lib Dems for saying such targets could be met without using nuclear power, which Labour and the Conservatives support.
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem shadow climate and energy spokesman, told the Observer that the greater use of renewable energy in Scandanavia, the Netherlands and Germany showed that much more could be done, and privately other European politicians have spoken of decarbonising their economies without nuclear power.
The Lib Dems want to focus on insulation programmes for homes and public buildings, and on boosting renewable energy industries, including a major apprenticeship scheme. The party said these plans would receive £3.1bn from other spending programmes in the first year, and income from a tax on planes in future years.
Labour sources said low-carbon zones could provide a focus for different industries to work together. Existing examples include a marine energy hub in the south-west and an emerging electric car industry in the north-east. Other possible coalitions include carbon capture and storage for coal power in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said in his party's green manifesto that the Tories "talk the talk on green issues only to align themselves with climate deniers in the European parliament", and claims that voting for the Green party is a waste because they "cannot make a difference in Westminster".
[Environment > Manifestos]
Labour 'cannot meet its pledge of 400,000 new green jobs'
｛英国労働党、新グリーン政策では４０万人の雇用創出公約は達成不可能。｝
Government forecast of slower growth in eco sector belies manifesto promise, say critics
｛批評家によると、環境セクターの緩慢な成長の中、政府見通しはマニフェスト公約に矛盾。｝
Tim Webb
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 April 2010 00.07 BST
Article history
Labour has been accused of misleading voters over its pledge to create 400,000 "green jobs" by 2015 after the government's own figures last month slashed growth forecasts for the sector, making the target almost impossible to achieve.
The jobs target originally came from a report commissioned by the government on growth prospects for the green sector, which was published last March as part of its vaunted "low-carbon industrial strategy". But last month, the same consultancy forecast that the green economy would grow more than 33% slower than it had predicted last year.
The report, which was not publicised but has been obtained by the Observer, also found that just 1,675 extra green jobs were created in the year to last March, making the 2015 target even more unlikely to be reached.
Labour has put its policy of supporting low carbon industries such as wind turbine manufacturers at the heart of its economic policy. Business secretary Lord Mandelson and energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband have argued that promoting these new industries will reduce the economy's dependence on the City and spread wealth more evenly around Britain.
But Simon Hughes, shadow energy and climate change secretary for the Liberal Democrats, said Labour's failure to change its pledge in line with its own revised official forecasts was another example of the party being more interested in presentation than delivery.
"Ed Miliband often talks a good talk, but whether on air quality, renewable energy, biodiversity, fuel poverty or zero-carbon schools, missed targets have been one of the clearest features of this Labour government," he said.
Under the government's criteria, the green economy includes firms involved in sectors such as renewable energy, environmental consultancy, waste, fuel-efficient cars, carbon trading and energy efficiency. Last month's government-commissioned report from the Innovas consultancy estimated that the sector would grow on average by just under 3.5% a year up to 2015, compared with its forecast in March 2009 of 5.5% average annual growth. It blamed the recession, which has hit manufacturers particularly hard, for the downgraded estimate. It also said that job creation targets were missed for the year to March last year.
A Labour spokeswoman admitted that the target for the green economy to employ an extra 400,000 workers, up from about 900,000 now, was ambitious but said it was still achievable. She did not explain why the party's manifesto had not reduced its jobs target in the light of the lower growth forecasts.
The report also shows that the number of green jobs in the north-east and east of England, earmarked by the government as a hubs for renewable industries, fell last year. Firms involved in carbon finance, largely based in the City, saw the biggest expansion.
Manufacturing employers' group the EEF said that the north-east and east of England faced a "make or break" year as companies such as General Electric and Siemens decided whether to go ahead with plans to build turbine manufacturing facilities. Roger Salomone, the EEF's energy adviser, said these regions needed to maintain a strong industrial base in order to attract investment.
He added: "When governments make these kinds of job targets I am always sceptical … It would be churlish to be overly critical of the low-carbon industrial strategy as a lot of progress is being made. But it's crucial that government does everything to see through these investments over the next decade."
[News > Politics > General election 2010]
Labour and Liberal Democrats launch green manifestos
｛英国労働党と民主党、グリーンマニフェストを公開。｝
Labour targets low-carbon 'economic areas' in each region while Lib Dems back renewable energy and emissions cuts
｛労働党は各地区に低炭素’経済特区’を、民主党は再生可能エネルギーと排出量削減を重点目標に。｝
Juliette Jowit
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 April 2010 11.03 BST
Article history
{{Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem shadow climate and energy spokesman.}
{Photograph}: Christian Sinibaldi}
Labour and the Liberal Democrats today published their green manifestos, highlighting wide differences between the two parties on how the UK will be powered in the future.
Labour announced support for new low-carbon "economic areas" in each region, and 5,000 new apprentices in the clean-tech economy. The Lib Dems gave more details about their ambitious main manifesto pledge to create a zero-carbon Britain by the middle of the century.
In addition to their earlier promise to generate all electricity from renewable sources – and at least three-quarters from offshore wind and marine or tidal power – the Lib Dems said Britain would have to slash emissions from transport, heating buildings, industry and agriculture. The UK could offset up to 10% of emissions by buying credits from overseas projects.
Labour sources said the pledge was an "empty gesture" as MPs had already voted for an 80% cut in emissions by 2050. Last week, the party attacked the Lib Dems for saying such targets could be met without using nuclear power, which Labour and the Conservatives support.
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem shadow climate and energy spokesman, told the Observer that the greater use of renewable energy in Scandanavia, the Netherlands and Germany showed that much more could be done, and privately other European politicians have spoken of decarbonising their economies without nuclear power.
The Lib Dems want to focus on insulation programmes for homes and public buildings, and on boosting renewable energy industries, including a major apprenticeship scheme. The party said these plans would receive £3.1bn from other spending programmes in the first year, and income from a tax on planes in future years.
Labour sources said low-carbon zones could provide a focus for different industries to work together. Existing examples include a marine energy hub in the south-west and an emerging electric car industry in the north-east. Other possible coalitions include carbon capture and storage for coal power in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said in his party's green manifesto that the Tories "talk the talk on green issues only to align themselves with climate deniers in the European parliament", and claims that voting for the Green party is a waste because they "cannot make a difference in Westminster".