Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled his Spring Budget, introducing fresh funding for carbon capture technologies, reclassifying nuclear as a “sustainable” energy option and extending energy efficiency relief for households, as a part of an ongoing effort to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.
But last week’s Budget will do little to meet the UK’s net zero carbon goals, missed opportunities to create a green economy, and would saddle households with high energy bills driven by fossil fuel prices, green campaigners and experts have said.
Jeremy Hunt, chancellor of the exchequer, was a self-styled “green Tory” as a backbencher, and in his speech gave a nod towards the UK’s green ambitions with a boost for nuclear power and for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
But missing from the budget was any hint of the hoped-for focus on home insulation, any strengthening of the windfall tax on record oil and gas profits, or removal of the barriers to onshore windfarms.