Government need to simplify their environmental incentives - Baker

Commenting on the Green Alliance report on the Government's climate change policy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Norman Baker MP, said:

"The authors of this report have identified a muddle at the heart of Government.

"The Government is right to identify that economic instruments can be used to improve environmental performance, but the way this has been approached is both chaotic and overly bureaucratic.

"The Liberal Democrats would ensure economic instruments deliver a better environment by establishing an 'Environmental Incentive Programme' within the Treasury to make the best use of the market mechanism. For example, we would abolish the complicated Climate Change Levy and replace it with an easy to understand carbon tax.

"The message has to be that being environmentally friendly can save everyone money."