Alistair Darling's green budget
Carbon emissions reduction target may increase from 60% to 80% by 2050
There will be a carbon budget alongside a fiscal budget next year.
Buildings
Domestic
£25m to help homeowners cut carbon emissions - I think there's around 22m houses; So that's what... £1.16 per house?
Allocation of £26 million to the Green Homes Service in 2008-09, helping over two million people in its first year (Note: I may have confused the above £25m with this announcement - Will check).
Extend the Stamp Duty Land Tax exemption to new flats, retrospectively from 1 October 2007, and make changes to provide for Government departments to charge a fee when assessing whether a dwelling meets the zero-carbon standard (It giveth, then taketh away).
New homes built on central government land and released through the surplus public sector land programme from April 2008 will reach a minimum of Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Non-domestic
Ambition for all new public sector buildings to be zero carbon from 2018.
Ambition for zero carbon emissions on non-domestic buildings by 2019
Cars
Two pence fuel duty increase postponed until October.
Asking European Commission for tougher targets on car emissions.
Showroom tax based on car emissions from 2010
New tax bands for most polluting cars from 2009 - To include zero tax band for least polluting new cars from 2010. Specifics:
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six new Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) bands from 2009-10 – including a new top band (band M) for the most polluting cars that emit more than 255g CO2 per km;
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reducing the standard rate of VED, in 2009-10, for all new and existing cars that emit 150g of CO2 per km or less, and increasing the standard rate of VED on the most polluting cars to £425;
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from 2010-11, extending the zero rate of VED, during the first year of ownership, to all new cars that emit 130g CO2 per km or less – the EU proposed target for average new car emissions in 2012;
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holding the first-year rate for all new cars that emit between 131 and 160g CO2 per km equal to the standard rate in 2010-11;
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introducing for the most polluting cars a first-year rate of £950 in 2010-11; and
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providing a £15 or £20 discount for alternatively fuelled cars in 2009-10, and £10 in 20
Setting aside funding for testing road pricing proposals - Here comes the private car crackdown!
£40 million research, development and demonstration programme, which will focus on low-carbon vehicle concepts and the acceleration of their commercialisation.
Alternative energy
Biofuels: According to the BEEB, the Treasury is raising £550m in 2010-11 by removing biofuels duty differential - At last! Seems like they've taken heed of the world grain shortages; but two years?
Government to jointly fund (with the Carbon Trust) a £40 million research and development project into offshore wind and marine power, and up to £20 million on wave and tidal through the Energy Technologies Institute.
Waste
Increase landfill communities fund (for improving environment near landfill site) by £5m to £70m for 2008-09
Inactive waste (attracts lower rate landfill tax) increases from £2 to £2.50 per tonne from 1st April 2008 (announced in budget 07) but will be frozen in 2009-10
Standard landfill tax rate unaffected (Budget 07 set £8 per tonne increase each year beginning 1st April 2008 until at least 2010-11).
Misc
Aggregates levy increase from £1.95 per tonne to £2.00 per tonne from 1st April 2008 (supposed to ensure external costs of exploiting aggregates are reflected in price and to encourage the use of recycled aggregate).
Tags: government
