Is Reeves still the green chancellor after her budget? Yes … and no

The fuel duty freeze led to ire, but there were boosts for renewable energy investment and heat decarbonisationSo how did Rachel Reeves’ ambition to be the “green chancellor” survive contact with battle in the budget? Reactions are, honestly, mixed.The decision to freeze fuel duty and keep the 5p cut made by the Conservatives in 2022 is attracting some fury, not least because the tax relief is estimated to have raised UK greenhouse gas emissions by 7% since 2010. Reeves has been accused of doing “completely the wrong thing” for climate by making this decision at the same time as raising the bus fare cap from £2 to £3, and rail fares by 4.6%. Continue reading...

Is Reeves still the green chancellor after her budget? Yes … and no

The fuel duty freeze led to ire, but there were boosts for renewable energy investment and heat decarbonisation

So how did Rachel Reeves’ ambition to be the “green chancellor” survive contact with battle in the budget? Reactions are, honestly, mixed.

The decision to freeze fuel duty and keep the 5p cut made by the Conservatives in 2022 is attracting some fury, not least because the tax relief is estimated to have raised UK greenhouse gas emissions by 7% since 2010. Reeves has been accused of doing “completely the wrong thing” for climate by making this decision at the same time as raising the bus fare cap from £2 to £3, and rail fares by 4.6%. Continue reading...