date: Tue Mar 20 13:03:18 2001
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Fwd: DETR: Deputy Prime Minister launches Carbon Trust
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     Subject: Fwd: DETR: Deputy Prime Minister launches Carbon Trust
     Another DETR press release.....

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     From: "Press Office (DETR)" <inf.detr@gtnet.gov.uk>
     Subject: DETR: Deputy Prime Minister launches Carbon Trust
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     150 20 March 2001
     DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LAUNCHES CARBON TRUST
     Stronger links between business and the environment were forged today with the launch of
     the Carbon Trust by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott and Trust Chairman, Ian
     McAllister.
     Business has a key role to play in tackling climate change, Mr Prescott said. Without
     business commitment to developing low carbon technologies, long term reductions in
     greenhouse gas emissions will not be achieved. The Carbon Trust will help business play
     its part.
     The Carbon Trust is a key part of the UK climate change programme. It will promote
     research and development, and make available up to 200m over the next 2 years to help
     businesses invest in low carbon technologies. It will be funded by the proceeds of the
     climate change levy.
     Launching the Trust, Mr Prescott, said:
     "The Carbon Trust will help business save energy and support new low carbon
     technologies. It will also bring together business, Government, researchers, consumers
     and non-Government organisations (NGOs) to develop a new strategic vision of a low
     carbon future.
     "Climate change is the most serious environmental threat that the world is facing. It
     affects us all. We helped negotiate the historic agreement at Kyoto putting in place
     legally binding targets to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions.
     "Our climate change programme contains measures that could cut greenhouse gas emissions
     by 23 per cent by 2010. The climate change levy and the energy efficiency agreements
     with industry are estimated to cut emissions by 5 million tonnes. That is a fifth of the
     total cuts we expect to achieve over the next 10 years.
     "The Carbon Trust will make a significant contribution to achieving the UK's  CO2
     savings, but it must also help us address longer term challenges. Moving to a low carbon
     economy is essential to protect the environment. It is also essential to our future
     competitiveness. There are major gains in store for the UK if we can shape the emerging
     low carbon technology market."
     Ian McAllister said:
     "The Carbon Trust is a unique opportunity for the UK, and I hope it will be an example
     of how Government, business, NGOs, researchers and others can work together to tackle
     climate change. We need to be truly visionary if we are to make it work.
     "The Trust will take us down the road to a low carbon economy. It will develop new low
     carbon technologies and get them onto the market. It will train people to develop the
     technologies and to use them effectively.
     "We will be building on the UK's strengths in innovation and technology. We will be
     developing new ways of thinking and develop new ways of doing business. And we will
     exploit the UK's lead in the world's financial markets to find new ways of financing
     investment in low carbon technologies.
     "Now is the time for UK business to show its commitment and to capitalise on the
     benefits a low carbon economy can bring."
     Turning to another area where Government is taking measures to tackle climate change,
     John Prescott added:
     "Our 10 Year Plan for Transport will reduce congestion on the roads and cut CO2
     emissions by 1.6 million tonnes, in addition to the 4 million tonnes expected to be
     saved by the voluntary agreement with car manufacturers.  Already we are seeing traffic
     now growing at a much slower rate than the economy. Provisional figures for 2000 show
     traffic grew by only 0.3%, or 0.7% after allowing for the effect of the September fuel
     shortages, while GDP grew by more than 3%."
     NOTES TO EDITORS:
     1. The Carbon Trust was originally proposed the Advisory Committee on Business and the
     Environment (ACBE), which has taken the lead with DETR, DTI, the Devolved
     Administrations and the research community to develop the idea. The concept of the Trust
     was developed by the ACBE Climate Change Working Group under the leadership of Ian
     Stephenson of Johnson Matthey, the Trust's Deputy Chairman.
     2. The Carbon Trust will accelerate the take-up of low carbon technologies and practices
     by business, including process and manufacturing industry, commerce and business
     transport. The Trust will also cover the public sector. The overall aim of the Trust
     will be to work with business, public bodies, Government and the research community to
     help the UK move towards a sustainable, lower-carbon economy. The Trust will start work
     in April 2001.
     3. Over the next three years the Carbon Trust will plough around 100m of Climate Change
     Levy receipts back in to research, development and integrated business support
     programmes. The Trust will operate UK-wide in partnership with the Devolved
     Administrations, who will be contributing up to 6 million per annum.
     4. In addition, there will be 17 million from the existing DETR Energy Efficiency Best
     Practice Programme and a new Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme which will come into
     effect from 1 April with 70 million of funding in the first year. It is designed to
     support business investment in energy efficient technology. The scheme is expected to
     include 1200 energy efficient technologies.
     5. In the short term the Carbon Trust will concentrate on helping business save energy
     and money cost of the climate change levy.  In the long term it will develop the UK's
     capacity to meet the problems of climate change, consider not only commercial and
     technological factors but wider socio-economic factors which hinder our move towards a
     low carbon economy.
     6. The Carbon Trust is part of the climate change levy package of measures which awaits
     European state aids approval.
     Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3041; out of hours: 020 7944 5925 / 5945;
     E-mail: press@detr.gov.uk
     Public Enquiries: 020 7944 3000
     DETR website - [2]http://www.detr.gov.uk

