Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget speech
United Kingdom: In his speech on the Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer focused on Britain’s debt, at the expense of the environment and the country’s prospects for green economic development.
According to WWF UK’s CEO David Nussbaum, “Our environmental risks are increasingly systemic, and in some areas the threats of ecosystem failures are very real.
This sidelining of environmental regulation to me reflects the persistence of the 'flat earth' mentality within the treasury and certain parts of the Conservative party who seem to refute that environmental protection and economic growth can be compatible goals.”
On a greener tone, at a speech on green economy, Deputy PM Nick Clegg stated that “lean times can be green times too”.
Sources: WWF UK, Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget speech, Deputy PM’s speech