Good news and bad news this month.It emerged that only six households have benefitted from the stamp duty rebate for eco-homes in 2007. Justine Greening, shadow Treasury minister was quick to point out the figures demonstrate the gulf between the government’s rhetoric on the environment and the reality.

Then came the news that only 270 solar photovoltaic systems were installed on houses in 2007 compared with 130,000 in Germany [an equivalent to two conventional power stations. Dr Lynne Jones, MP, duly criticised energy minister Malcolm Wicks for claiming government support for renewables was strong.

“That is a pathetic response and the government is giving out misleading information about the effectiveness of the British system compared to that of, say, Germany,” she said.
That wasn’t helped by a ‘leaked’ document from BERR saying that grants for households to install solar, wind or hydro would be underspent by £10m over the next year.
Then there was eco-town bashing with Selby district councillor John McCartney pointing out that a proposed eco-town was on a flood plain and in an area suffering from subsidence. Other protests focused on claims that communities would pay for eco-towns not the Treasury.

But some better news for the government in the shape of greenhouse gas figures. The latest figures for 2006 show that despite economic growth of 2.9%, emissions were 4% lower than in 2005 for the domestic sector and 1.3% lower for business. Although offset by increases elsewhere, notably transport and energy supply, total greenhouse gas emissions were down 0.5% on 2005. Carbon dioxide, which makes up around 85% of the total was 0.1% down. The government is putting a positive spin on it, saying greenhouse gas emissions are now 16.4% down on 1990 levels.