The LowCVP gives evidence to Energy and Climate Change Select Committee
Thu 22 October 2009
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The LowCVP Managing Director Greg Archer was called to give evidence to the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee on October 21st. The Select Committee also heard from Professor Julia King of Aston University and a LowCVP Board Member, and Stuart Hillmansen of Birmingham University. The session was held as part of the Committee's inquiry into low carbon technologies in a green economy.
In response to the acting Chair, Paddy Tipping MP's question about whether there is a 'Green New Deal' in the UK, Greg Archer said: "I think the scale of the green measures which were announced is just a tiny fraction of UK GDP and is, indeed, much lower than the fraction which is being allocated in other countries which had similar green stimulus measures".
In response to the same question, Prof King said: "I think real delivery is going to cost rather more money than anybody is mentioning being put into any of these schemes. It is corny to say, but we have spent an awful lot of money on the banks. It would be good to see us spending even a fraction of that on really trying to develop the green economy in the UK."
The witnesses were asked by Judy Mallaber MP, about their immediate wish list for what the Government should be focusing on and whether Government was spending enough money in the right areas?
In response, Greg Archer said: "We have made an excellent start on electric vehicles and we need to go a lot further, but let us not forget that actually there will be a suite of technologies in the future and we need to be incentivising and encouraging all of those realistic practical ones, not focusing only on the electrification agenda."
Responding to the same question, Julia King said: "I certainly think we need to invest more money in this. Overall, if we are going to meet our carbon budgets longer term...we are going to need more funding to stimulate some of these industry activities and some of the consumer activities."
To read the full, uncorrected transcript of the discussions during the hearing, please follow the associated link. Alternatively, click on the Parliament Live web link to view the Committee session in full.
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