OXFORD University’s Environmental Change Institute and the Low Carbon Hub have produced a fascinating report on the future of Oxfordshire’s Low Carbon Economy.

This report envisages 85,000 extra jobs in ‘green’ enterprises in the county up to 2030, in a more efficient economy and society creating only half as much greenhouse gas emissions.

High tech sectors are well represented in Oxfordshire, with good prospects for growth in employment. However, there are some problems with the optimism about our future the report suggests: First, it was written before George Osborne’s autumn statement, which envisaged a further £55 billion in cuts during the next government to follow the £35 billion the coalition is implementing during 2010-2015.

Today’s letters

Since Ed Balls, shadow Chancellor, has warned his colleagues to expect cuts in every year of a future Labour government, it seems very unlikely that the £680 million of public money needed to support the Low Carbon Economy changes will be available. Specifically, implementing the policies suggested in Oxfordshire’s Low Carbon Economy depends upon public money from all our district councils and the county council.

The full introduction of the types of changes suggested in Oxfordshire’s Low Carbon Economy would require an end to austerity by parties in government. It would involve a new commitment from them to raise government revenue from a wider range of taxes than are currently in use. Whilst I am sure the Green Party would be willing to do this, I very much doubt that the three parties most strongly supporting spending cuts will do so.

Oxfordshire’s low carbon future is, consequently, critically dependent on the results of the general election next year.

Steve Dawe, County Press Officer, Oxfordshire Green Party

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