23 March 2006 - Green Party Principal Speaker and Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has condemned as ‘scary’ a budget which has tinkered around the edges of tackling climate change – but will do little to reduce the UK’s rising CO2 emissions.

“This budget scares me because it brings home just how far this government is from where it needs to be in genuinely tackling climate change ,” the South-East England MEP said.

“Clearly Brown is trying to dress up his budget with more green trimmings than usual because he’s trying to outdo the Tories’ recent attempt to dress up their old policies in new green clothes.

“But the reality is that the measures he’s proposing are still wildly inadequate. The much hyped gas guzzler tax increase raises costs for by less than a pound a week, the fuel duty is frozen, and even the new renewable energy fund is pitifully resourced.”

Dr Lucas added: “Given that we’re facing a climate catastrophe, Brown is trying to put out a forest fire with a bucket of water."

ENDS