30th March 2008

The Government's attempt to evade its environmental responsibilities, by proposing that any UK renewable venture abroad should count towards it's 2020 quota targets has been widely condemned. Read Stroud Town councillor Dave Cockcroft's letter to The Guardian.

Lady Vadera, the business minister, suggests that UK investments in renewable power generation anywhere in the world should count towards our EU green energy targets (front page story, Britain seeks loophole in EU green energy targets, Sat 29th Mar).

By equal measure, should not all the energy used by UK businesses and investments anywhere in the world, be counted as part of the UK’s carbon emissions. After all why should other countries have to own up to rising greenhouse gas emissions due to production of raw materials or goods for consumption here.

I’m sure the business minister will also agree that it’s imperative that we stop ignoring the emissions from sea and air freight, used to transport globally manufactured goods, when calculating whether we've achieved our CO2 reduction targets. I feel confident she will be voting for amendments to the Climate Change Bill  to include the emissions from aviation and shipping.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Cockcroft
Stroud