Manufacturers call for new approach to climate change policy

According to manufacturers' organisation EEF, which conducted a survey and additional analysis on the subject, there is growing scepticism of the escalating cost, the burden of regulation and inefficient raft of climate change policies, some of which are unilaterally applied in the UK. Figures also show there is little if any relation between rising energy prices on emissions or efficiency. EEF director of policy Steve Radley (pictured) said: "We've bound ourselves to the costly renewables target and we've focused on the easy to tax sources of carbon emissions, such as manufacturing production. We have only ourselves to blame for any uncertainty created in climate change policy and we've placed climate change and growth policies in silos rather than thinking of them more holistically. "This approach is unsustainable. It leaves UK manufacturers at the sharp end of too many poorly designed policies, delaying rebalancing and limiting the extent of decarbonisation. But if we're going to do better, then we need to think and act differently. We need to see a wholesale shift to a more sustainable approach to climate change and ways of achieving this. "Some observers argue that because the current approach isn't working, we should forget carbon reduction commitment and focus on economic growth. Others argue that we need to concentrate on delivering a green economy and in so doing exploit the market for renewable technologies. This is a false choice, and we need to find an alternative route to secure both goals." The survey found that 80% of companies had invested in energy efficiency and even more had taken action to reduce emissions. One half of the companies surveyed were, or planned to be part of low carbon supply chains. However, three quarters said the cost of environmental policies had risen and would damage competitiveness while only one in eight thought current policy would boost investment . EEF has now launched the first stage of a project to address how the UK should reconcile the seemingly incompatible priorities of rebalancing the economy and being the greenest government ever. Its interim report, Green and Growth, sets out why the current approach to reaching our carbon targets is unsustainable and puts forward an alternative direction of travel. It calls for a review of the validity of the renewables target, a shift to life-cycle emissions, more consistent environmental policies and better incentives. Specific policy recommendations will be made in a final report in November.