Government breaking ‘greenest ever’ promise – Porritt

Green campaigner Jonathon Porritt claims the coalition is going to break its claim of being the 'greenest Government ever' after he evaluated 77 of its policies.


The former edie green personality of the year was commissioned by Friends of the Earth (FOE) to assess the Government’s green record during its first year in office, which will be marked this Saturday (May 14).

Mr Porritt scrutinised 77 policies and found ‘little or no’ progress in more than three quarters of them.

In his report the former FOE director puts the blame on squarely on the shoulders of David Cameron and the Lib Dems.

The report asks ‘Where’s Cameron?’ and cites ‘little evidence’ of the prime minister using his personal political clout to improve the Government’s green performance.

Mr Porritt also heaps more woe on the beleaguered Lib Dems, who suffered horrendous losses in last week’s local elections, claiming the party has ‘failed’ to promote its green agenda inside the coalition.

The report also says promises to create tens of thousands of new green jobs are ‘evaporating’ and blames the Treasury for ‘blocking’ progress.

Mr Porritt also calls the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) isolated.

And claims its position is now ‘impossible’ with the rest of Whitehall ‘fundamentally disengaged’ and the Treasury ‘hostile’.

Mr Porritt said: “The prime minister’s own credibility is at stake here.

“It’s certainly not too late, but things are going to have to change dramatically to make up lost ground.”

Friends of the Earth’s current executive director, Andy Atkins, said: “Unless David Cameron starts to show real political leadership his green ambitions will simply be more hot air.

Luke Walsh

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