Climate crisis? What climate crisis? The Conservative government has increased tax on solar panels to 20%.

Labour pans Tory VAT hike hitting green energy schemes

Just weeks after Parliament declared a climate emergency, the government has raised VAT on solar panels. Rick Dillon of the local Labour Party gets hot under the collar about the Conservative government’s environmental hypocrisy.

The massive hike, from 5% to 20%, was announced under cover of the European elections. It undermines the renewable energy sector at a time when young people are demanding action to stop global warming.

Hastings’ schemes, along with thousands of others, will be jeopardised by a rise most experts predict will make solar production increasingly uneconomic.

Peter Chowney: Parliamentary Candidate for the Labour Party

Council leader Peter Chowney, who was instrumental in Hastings council adopting its own emissions targets, said: “Here’s the final proof that not only is the government not serious about preventing climate change, they’re actively promoting it.

“A four-fold increase in VAT on renewable energy equipment, coupled with the abolition of the feed-in tariff, means renewable energy generation will be much less likely, especially for small-scale installations on domestic roofs.”

The Conservatives say they recognise the need to tackle climate change. On 1 May Parliament, with the backing of environment secretary Michael Gove, backed Jeremy Corbyn’s call to declare a formal climate and environment emergency.

The latest threat is to Britain’s coastlines, according to a new report pointing to the dangers posed by rising sea levels.

And yet as evidence mounts of the threat of global warming, the Tories continue to back unpopular shale gas extraction or ‘fracking’, while at the  same time taking credit for reducing the use of fossil fuels.

In fact, green gains made by the Coalition government have been reversed!

This Conservative government has imposed a ban on further onshore wind farms. They also cancelled a scheme in the Severn Estuary to harness tidal power. And, on solar power, their VAT rise follows the ending of feed-in tariffs, which helped householders fund the installation of solar panels on their homes.

Once again, it looks very much as if the Tories are putting the environment and money-making in the balance, and private capital in the shape of oil and gas interests are winning.

Peter Chowney says: “The decision to hike VAT to 20% was taken after a ‘consultation’ … who with? The oil companies? The Tories seem to be oblivious to the climate emergency we’re facing, which is presumably why most of them didn’t bother to turn up to the debate on the climate emergency in Parliament.

“This has to change, for the sake of our children, and their children – they’ll be the ones who suffer the consequence of a government that puts short-term private profit above the welfare and survival of future generations.”

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