By Tom Levitt, MSN Environment Editor, 22/04/2009 00:00

Darling goes green on Earth Day

It's Earth Day and to celebrate Alistair Darling has gone green with his Budget.

With all the attention focused on the economic debt this country is facing, the ongoing environmental crisis the world faces has been sidelined.

But on the day the world takes time to celebrate nature and promote sustainable living the chancellor has attempted to do his bit to stimulate the UK's renewable economy.

Darling's green policies

The biggest winners were the offshore wind sector and more surprisingly, the car sector.

Mr Darling announced an additional £525 million in support for offshore wind, £435 million for energy efficient measures in homes and £2,000 for anyone trading in a car that's over 10 years old.

But most significantly of all, he announced a commitment to cut the UK's carbon emissions by 34% by 2020, the world's first commitment to cutting carbon emissions. He promised an extra £1 billion to the low-carbon economy to help meet this target and £405 million to encourage low-carbon energy and advanced green manufacturing.

North Sea plans

He also announced his plans to help the North Sea become a renewable energy hub in the future. With the number of new oil fields discovered in the Sea declining, the chancellor said he wants to encourage the development of gas storage, carbon capture and offshore wind.

Overall he said the green technology sector, which includes renewable technology, had the potential to create 100,000 new jobs in the UK and continue to be "one of the growth sectors".

Green campaigners call for more

However, with Mr Darling admitting that national borrowing will rise to more than 12% of GDP in the next financial year green campaigners have claimed we are living dangerously beyond our financial as well as our ecological means.

WWF criticised the cash incentive for buying new cars, "it offers a cash incentive for any car bought from a mini to a gas guzzler, rather than specifically supporting low carbon vehicles," said head of transport Peter Lockley.Environmental groups also criticised the groundbreaking commitment to cut carbon emissions by 34% as inadequate.

"A 42% cut by 2020 is the minimum required if we are to play our part in avoiding dangerous climate change," said Friends of the Earth Executive Director Andy Atkins.

WWF agreed. "The Government has simply accepted the lower end of the proposed carbon budgets recommended by the Committee on Climate Change last December, yet has failed to endorse the same Committee's call for a 42% cut in emissions by 2020," said WWF head of climate change Keith Allott.

"This is a serious missed opportunity to lay the foundations of a truly low carbon future in the UK, and to show real, and much-needed leadership, both globally and in the EU," added Mr Allott.

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