Green taxes must rise to protect environment

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Mar 2006

"We are going backwards on our targets for greenhouse gases"

The new Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, this morning challenged the Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett over rising carbon dioxide emissions in his first DEFRA Oral Questions.

Highlighting that, since 1997, CO2 emissions have risen, while 'green taxes' have fallen to a lower level of GDP than under the Tories, he said:

"It was welcome to hear Margaret Beckett admit that the Government has to get carbon dioxide emissions back under control.

"However, the Environment Secretary did not appear to believe there is any connection between getting our emissions of carbon dioxide under control, and the level of green taxation.

"With the level of green taxes falling we are going backwards on our targets for greenhouse gases, even though those targets were relatively unambitious.

"The Liberal Democrats know that green taxes have to rise to change behaviour, while allowing other taxes to fall."