Minister calls for greater focus on 'environmental talent'
News Article - 08 May 2008
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The UK's environment secretary has stated that Britain needs to
make the most of its environmental talent in order to "remain at
the forefront of the green industrial revolution".
Hilary Benn claims that building on environmental innovation and
skills will create jobs and help to fuel economic growth.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has
published new plans to work with British businesses to create a
strong low
carbon economy and make the UK an ideal place to
develop and introduce low
carbon, resource efficient products and
services.
Building a Low
Carbon Economy: Unlocking Environmental
Innovation and Skills is a response to the conclusions of the
Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance
(CEMEP), which reported in late 2007.
According to Mr Benn, environmental talent is key to economic
growth over the coming years and the government is committed to
policies that positively support innovation, help to develop the
right skills and foster partnerships between government, trade
unions, higher education bodies and others.
"The government is committed to building a low
carbon economy, here and around the world," he
stated. "That means a complete change in the way we live and an
economic transformation that will put Britain at the forefront of a
technological revolution in the way we use and source our
energy."
Green issues are playing an increasingly important role in business
operations and
carbonaccounting software can help firms to cut costs
and reduce their
carbon footprints.
However, a recent poll by Opinium indicated that over seven out of
ten voters in Britain would be unwilling to pay higher taxes in
order to fund measures aimed at tackling climate change.
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