Caroline Lucas, MP for the Green Party:

“Just days before the Paris Climate talks we see Osborne unveil a spending review that fails the answer the biggest challenge of our time. The CSR should have been climate-proofed, with all spending commitments assessed as to whether they help cut carbon emissions – but instead we’ve seen the gutting of both the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Department for the Environment.

“What I would have loved to have seen was a massive investment in energy efficiency and home insulation, not just because that would get our climate emissions down, but it would also tackle fuel poverty and it would have created hundreds of thousands of jobs as well. That should be a real infrastructure priority – energy efficiency – and it’s a real wasted opportunity.

 

Lisa Nandy , shadow energy secretary and Labour MP for Wigan:

On the scrapping of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) scheme, she added: “Year after year the prime minister has personally promised to support CCS so this is a huge betrayal for all of the communities who could have benefited so much from this cutting-edge technology.”

 

Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party:

“This Spending Review doesn't add up, in economic, social or environmental terms. Barely featuring in this Spending Review is a recognition that our economic prosperity relies on a healthy natural environment and that unpolluted air, clean water, local green space and healthy soil are crucial for our economy.” 

 

Kathy McVeigh, a member of the board of directors at the Solar Trade Association:

“We welcome the fact that the Renewable Heat Incentive will remain, despite the ominous rumours before the Spending Review. Amber Rudd has done well to protect the renewable heat sector.”

 

Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive at the UK Green Building Council:

“The Chancellor was keen to emphasise the Government’s green credentials ahead of Paris, but they are going backwards on one of the most cost-effective opportunities – improving the energy efficiency of our existing housing stock. The cuts to ECO and RHI will see more jobs lost in the industry and vulnerable households will continue to be trapped by unaffordable energy bills.

“The chancellor repeatedly talks about productivity, but here he is discouraging investment and destroying a market.”

 

Association for the Conservation of Energy:

 

Ed Matthew, director of the Energy Bill Revolution:

“Despite pledging to re-build Britain, the Chancellor has failed to allocate any of the £100 Billion infrastructure fund to help re-build the 21 million British households with poor energy efficiency.  What is worse is that he has cut the existing and inadequate funding for energy efficiency under the Energy Company Obligation.  This condemns millions to continue living in cold homes, damages our energy security and makes it all but impossible to meet future carbon budgets.  It is short term thinking of the worst kind that will cost thousands of lives, lead to higher energy bills in the long term and increase pressure on the NHS.”

Greenpeace UK:

 

Sepi Golzari-Munro, head of the UK programme for the climate policy think tank E3G:

“With infrastructure at the heart of the spending review, Government moves to sell-off the UK’s Green Investment Bank are both incomprehensible and reckless.  The GIB is Britain’s only infrastructure bank. The Chancellor is also slashing renewables and energy efficiency investment, and eliminating CCS funding, making it almost impossible to meet our carbon budgets.  Rather than building the low carbon infrastructure fit for the future, the Chancellor has doubled down on building the infrastructure of the past.”

 

Dr. Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the REA:

“Our members recognised the need to make savings and presented to Treasury and DECC how we could optimise the RHI budget. A £700m cut is large, but we look forward to working with the government on reforming this crucial area. We still have a large challenge in hitting our renewable heat targets, and the RHI alone won’t achieve it, heat networks, energy efficiency and green gas still have a large part to play.”

 

Charlotte Morton, chief executive of ADBA:

“We welcome the government’s commitment today to delivering renewable heat. Indigenous green gas will continue to be a vital part of UK heating, and ultimately biogas alone has the potential to deliver 30% of domestic gas demand. Making RHI funding available for new projects to 2020/21 will clearly help support our industry’s ambition.

“The Chancellor’s decision to delay significant growth within the RHI budget next year, however, leaves uncertainty around the level of funding which will be available for new projects in 2016.  It’s challenging for any industry to endure a period of hiatus where jobs and investment are put on hold – or even at risk – as businesses wait for government policy to catch up with growth capability.”

 

Lawrence Slade, chief executive of Energy UK:

“The UK’s energy sector has been calling for long-term policy certainty to encourage the scale of investment required to meet the country’s energy needs. Today’s statements from the chancellor, along with Amber Rudd’s announcement on the future direction for energy generation, helps provide a step in that direction but more detail is required to show how the aims will be supported.

“A lot of work remains to be done to map a realistic course that maintains secure energy supply to homes and businesses while meeting our international climate responsibilities and, crucially, ensuring energy remains affordable for everyone.”

 

Nick Molho, executive director of the Aldersgate Group:

“Without rapid investment in energy efficiency and low carbon heat at scale, it is difficult to see how the UK will meet its fourth carbon budget at least cost and on time. The government needs to do much more to improve the energy efficiency of our building stock and explain how its new proposals will deliver the increase in low carbon heat that the Committee on Climate Change has been calling for. It is also unclear how the government intends to allow further investment in cost-effective renewable electricity projects outside of the offshore wind auctions announced last week.”

 

National Insulation Association:

 

Dr Luke Warren, Chief Executive of the CCSA:

“[The] announcement that the funding for CCS will be cut is devastating. Only six months ago the Government’s manifesto committed £1 billion of funding for CCS. Moving the goalposts just at the time when a four year competition is about to conclude is an appalling way to do business. This announcement is a real blow to confidence for companies investing in CCS. We call on the Government to come forward – as a matter of urgency – with their plans for CCS as this technology is critical for the UK’s economic, industrial and climate policies. Without concrete Government support for CCS the UK will lose the opportunity for cost-effective decarbonisation”