Green Deal, the government-backed initiative aimed to reduced the majority of household carbon emissions at least by 2050, seems under seriod pressure at the present time, according to reports in today’s newspapers.
Apparently a group of senior Tory ministers is ‘staging a last minute effort’ to block Green Deal. And Tory MPs and Lords are reported to be under near-constant lobbying from a previous Conservative chancellor Lord Lawson’s climate change sceptic group, the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
Due to be launched next October, Green Deal, which is being closely administered by Mr Greg Barker, Minister of State for Eneregy & Climate Change, aims to provide state-backed cheap finance mainly through the utilities for basic costs of energy efficient home improvements.
Apparently, the Sunday Telegraph, referred to Green Deal as the ‘baby’ of former energy secretary Mr Chris Huhne, MP, and now that he has ‘gone’ it was the right time to ‘kill it off”. The point was made that: ‘Forcing people to pay thousands of pounds for unwanted extra home insulation is the last thing that hard-pressed families needed at the moment.’
Mr Barker, however, criticised the ‘sniping’ as ‘bonkers’ and firmly pointed out that Green Deal policy was in the Tory-Lib coalition agreement and ‘had been developed by the Conservatives in opposition.’
Although, for various reasons, the National Home Improvement Council is also sceptical about Green Deal’s current ‘status’ it is leading the way in bringing together the SMEs, who will efficiently and effectively carry out the energy efficient home improvement work, and the Providers, who will oversee it’s satisfactory completion and be primarily responsible for finance.
Through the NHIC’s President, The Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP it is setting up a Group Forum for Mr Barker’s department , to monitor any idiosyncracies that may arise between SMEs and Providers.
More information: info@nhic.org.uk