Tories announce Carbon Cooperation Plan

News Article - 30 September 2008
Category: Environment

Businesses which assist in improving the energy efficiency of their employees' homes will be able to count the savings when accounting for carbon emissions themselves, under Conservative proposals.

The move, part of a "Carbon Cooperation Plan", was announced by shadow housing minister Grant Shapps at the party's conference in Birmingham.

Mr Shapps believes the scheme, which he said has received support from Tesco, will help lower domestic bills while at the same time assisting businesses with meeting their carbon emissions measurement targets.

"Why not help companies that take their corporate social responsibility seriously, to make real reductions in Britain's overall emissions," he said.

"Under a new scheme, which I can announce today, businesses will be able to improve the energy efficiency of their employees' homes - and have that domestic carbon reduction count against their own output."

The announcement is the second major environmental policy to come from the conference, after David Cameron said he would scrap the planned third runway at Heathrow, favouring a high-speed train link.

British Airways criticised the policy, saying it would "put the UK's air links in a straitjacket not imposed anywhere else in the world".

Article keywords:

---

More industry news

• Think tank warns UK may have already slipped back into recession
• Growing demand for HR staff in technology and international sectors
• Boosting business growth a ‘priority’ to avoid Eurozone slowdown
• HMRC launches alternative disputes pilot scheme this week
• December employment statistics disregard gloomy recruitment predictions
• Eurozone manufacturing PMI shows modest improvement
• UK scores highly for economic governance by ratings agency
• Government launches two-year project focusing on manufacturing sector
• Burden of regulation on UK businesses ‘too high’

Back to news home page »