Isonomia

by Peter Jones

The Budget last week offered little to excite the environmentally minded, as George Osborne produced no new green measures from his battered red box. One of the main talking points in the waste sector has been the absence of any clarification of what will happen to landfill tax after it reaches £80 in 2014/15. The Green Alliance advocates further increases, but the Environmental Services Association and various local authority representatives are looking for the escalator to stop. At the same time, the planned fuel escalator increase for September 2013 was cancelled.

Read more on A tale of two escalators…

by Carolyn Cross

As I meander through the veg aisles of my local supermarket, Matthew the British apple farmer beams down, Chairman Mau-style, from giant posters. He looks like a nice guy, and while the supermarket may be getting a lot of mileage out of him, it does mean fewer nasty air freight and truck miles. In turn that means fresher, healthier produce, reduced carbon emissions, and more of the economic benefits staying close to home; so buying Matthew’s apples is good for us, good for UK plc and no doubt good for Matthew too.

Read more on Is my grocer greener than my government?…

by Phillip Ward

The Treasury has finally settled on its definition of a green tax and it is a narrow one. Why? – because the Coalition agreement included a commitment to double the proportion of total taxes represented by green taxes. The smaller the amount of tax take that is included within the definition, the less the Government will need to do in order to meet its commitment.

Read more on What’s in a name? The Treasury’s green tax-onomy…

by Peter Jones

I’ve come across two very different eye-catching green ideas in the last couple of weeks, both with the aim of switching young people on to more sustainable living. Their sources couldn’t be more different – two local authorities collaborating to inspire young people to recycle “on the go”, and iconic punk designer Vivienne Westwood promoting sustainable fashion. And while each is doing something exciting and ambitious, I fear that neither is reaching its full potential.

Read more on Acorns, not oaks…

by Thomas Vergunst

The G8 leaders’ announcement of a renewed emphasis on promoting economic growth may have been widely welcomed – but for those of us keen to see an economy that better reflects the waste hierarchy it raises an interesting question. Does better waste management tend to promote or reduce growth and employment?

Read more on Is waste prevention bad for the economy?…