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| Chris Huhne: most greens 'think he has done well' | Chris Huhne: most greens 'think he has done well' |
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| Soaring energy bills, falling investment in green energy, rising fuel poverty, the impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident, fractious climate change negotiations, veiled attacks from the chancellor – even without the tumult in his personal life, Chris Huhne has faced a turbulent scene since taking over as energy and climate change secretary, one of the most senior cabinet roles taken by the junior partners in the coalition. | Soaring energy bills, falling investment in green energy, rising fuel poverty, the impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident, fractious climate change negotiations, veiled attacks from the chancellor – even without the tumult in his personal life, Chris Huhne has faced a turbulent scene since taking over as energy and climate change secretary, one of the most senior cabinet roles taken by the junior partners in the coalition. |
| But Huhne won plaudits from many in the green movement who saw him fight for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) against sceptics in the Treasury and secure vital funds for key projects despite dismal government finances. | But Huhne won plaudits from many in the green movement who saw him fight for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) against sceptics in the Treasury and secure vital funds for key projects despite dismal government finances. |
| "Most greens think he has done well," said Lady Worthington, a labour peer and environmental campaigner. "He has held his own in the battles against the Treasury, secured funding for renewable heat and the green investment bank, and he has been very approachable, which is a good thing in a cabinet minister." | "Most greens think he has done well," said Lady Worthington, a labour peer and environmental campaigner. "He has held his own in the battles against the Treasury, secured funding for renewable heat and the green investment bank, and he has been very approachable, which is a good thing in a cabinet minister." |
| Andrew Raingold, of the Aldersgate Group of businesses with an interest in greening the economy, said: "His biggest success has been winning the argument with cabinet colleagues on the fourth carbon budget [which strengthened the UK's carbon-cutting targets up to 2027], demonstrating that ambitious carbon cuts through the 2020s can benefit both the environment and the economy. He has also managed to get major concessions from the Treasury regarding the green investment bank, ensuring that it will have £3bn in initial funding in spite of severe fiscal constraints." | Andrew Raingold, of the Aldersgate Group of businesses with an interest in greening the economy, said: "His biggest success has been winning the argument with cabinet colleagues on the fourth carbon budget [which strengthened the UK's carbon-cutting targets up to 2027], demonstrating that ambitious carbon cuts through the 2020s can benefit both the environment and the economy. He has also managed to get major concessions from the Treasury regarding the green investment bank, ensuring that it will have £3bn in initial funding in spite of severe fiscal constraints." |
| Huhne has also won plaudits for his performances abroad, both in Europe, where he has attempted to build a coalition of member states to push for tougher EU-wide carbon targets, and in the long-running international climate change negotiations where he helped to broker a surprise global deal at the end of last year's talks in Durban. | Huhne has also won plaudits for his performances abroad, both in Europe, where he has attempted to build a coalition of member states to push for tougher EU-wide carbon targets, and in the long-running international climate change negotiations where he helped to broker a surprise global deal at the end of last year's talks in Durban. |
| Margaret Ounsley, head of public affairs at WWF-UK, said: "Chris Huhne understands the very complex issue of climate change, and his negotiating skills were key in helping to get the climate change talks back on track." | Margaret Ounsley, head of public affairs at WWF-UK, said: "Chris Huhne understands the very complex issue of climate change, and his negotiating skills were key in helping to get the climate change talks back on track." |
| Some of the problems Huhne has faced were not of his making – energy bills rose largely on the back of international gas prices, the Fukushima accident sent the global nuclear industry into a spin, and outright hostility to green policies from the rightwing media was stoked by the chancellor's public statements scorning green taxes. | Some of the problems Huhne has faced were not of his making – energy bills rose largely on the back of international gas prices, the Fukushima accident sent the global nuclear industry into a spin, and outright hostility to green policies from the rightwing media was stoked by the chancellor's public statements scorning green taxes. |
| But there have also been several own goals: Decc pursued a damaging policy U-turn over renewable energy through the courts, to be defeated when its slashing of feed-in tariffs for solar power was ruled unlawful, and the "green deal" policy to encourage the take-up of insulation and other low-carbon technologies has been derided by many experts as too weak. | But there have also been several own goals: Decc pursued a damaging policy U-turn over renewable energy through the courts, to be defeated when its slashing of feed-in tariffs for solar power was ruled unlawful, and the "green deal" policy to encourage the take-up of insulation and other low-carbon technologies has been derided by many experts as too weak. |
| Andrew Simms, fellow at the New Economics Foundation, said: "A major failure was allowing George Osborne to set such a medieval tone for environmental policy, possibly the most regressive proclamation by such a senior figure for decades. The green deal is pitifully small, and Huhne must take some responsibility for the feed-in tariffs fiasco." | Andrew Simms, fellow at the New Economics Foundation, said: "A major failure was allowing George Osborne to set such a medieval tone for environmental policy, possibly the most regressive proclamation by such a senior figure for decades. The green deal is pitifully small, and Huhne must take some responsibility for the feed-in tariffs fiasco." |
| Clare McNeil, senior research fellow at IPPR, added: "Energy market reform was a big missed opportunity, as he could have taken a much firmer stance on the issue of competition [among the big six energy suppliers]." | Clare McNeil, senior research fellow at IPPR, added: "Energy market reform was a big missed opportunity, as he could have taken a much firmer stance on the issue of competition [among the big six energy suppliers]." |
| Craig Bennett, director of policy at Friends of the Earth, said: "Leaving consumers to compare energy tariffs as a way to tackle soaring bills is woefully inadequate. What we really need is decisive action from government to get us off the hook of expensive fossil fuels and invest in clean British energy instead." | Craig Bennett, director of policy at Friends of the Earth, said: "Leaving consumers to compare energy tariffs as a way to tackle soaring bills is woefully inadequate. What we really need is decisive action from government to get us off the hook of expensive fossil fuels and invest in clean British energy instead." |
| It was not just solar power businesses, complaining of thousands of jobs lost and millions of pounds of investment forgone when the feed-in tariffs were slashed last year, who criticised Decc under Huhne's leadership. His push for a toughening of the EU emissions-cutting target, from 20% to 30% by 2020, drew the ire of some, and the government angered many companies when it reformed a key policy, the carbon reduction commitment, so that the money raised from it flowed to the Treasury rather than returning to businesses. | It was not just solar power businesses, complaining of thousands of jobs lost and millions of pounds of investment forgone when the feed-in tariffs were slashed last year, who criticised Decc under Huhne's leadership. His push for a toughening of the EU emissions-cutting target, from 20% to 30% by 2020, drew the ire of some, and the government angered many companies when it reformed a key policy, the carbon reduction commitment, so that the money raised from it flowed to the Treasury rather than returning to businesses. |
| Praise from some sections of business was lukewarm. Neil Bentley, deputy director general of the CBI employers' organisation, said: "Chris Huhne has led some significant long-term policies to help shift the UK to a low-carbon economy, such as the green deal and reform of the electricity markets. But other short-term decisions, like those on the carbon reduction commitment and solar feed-in tariffs, have caused greater uncertainty among businesses and investors." | Praise from some sections of business was lukewarm. Neil Bentley, deputy director general of the CBI employers' organisation, said: "Chris Huhne has led some significant long-term policies to help shift the UK to a low-carbon economy, such as the green deal and reform of the electricity markets. But other short-term decisions, like those on the carbon reduction commitment and solar feed-in tariffs, have caused greater uncertainty among businesses and investors." |
| David Porter of the Association of Electricity Producers added: "At first I was concerned about his past position on nuclear power [which the Lib Dems opposed before the coalition], but in office he seemed to cope with that and help bring [nuclear power] forward." | David Porter of the Association of Electricity Producers added: "At first I was concerned about his past position on nuclear power [which the Lib Dems opposed before the coalition], but in office he seemed to cope with that and help bring [nuclear power] forward." |
| But Gareth Stacey, of manufacturers' organisation EEF, said Decc under Huhne was "very interested in working together with industries and manufacturers in partnership to achieve its aims", which he said was positive. He said: "What we'd like to see is Decc taking a more strategic approach to further developing the policies within its portfolio rather than use a sticking-plaster approach." | But Gareth Stacey, of manufacturers' organisation EEF, said Decc under Huhne was "very interested in working together with industries and manufacturers in partnership to achieve its aims", which he said was positive. He said: "What we'd like to see is Decc taking a more strategic approach to further developing the policies within its portfolio rather than use a sticking-plaster approach." |
| Huhne's successor cannot expect a much easier ride. Probably the biggest difficulty Ed Davey will face is the increasingly vociferous campaigning from sections of the media and free-market thinktanks against policies to encourage green growth, such as renewable energy subsidies and levies on carbon. Claims that green taxes could add thousands of pounds to energy bills by 2020 were refuted by the government, which argues that its analysis shows rising oil and gas prices will mean consumers see a net gain. | Huhne's successor cannot expect a much easier ride. Probably the biggest difficulty Ed Davey will face is the increasingly vociferous campaigning from sections of the media and free-market thinktanks against policies to encourage green growth, such as renewable energy subsidies and levies on carbon. Claims that green taxes could add thousands of pounds to energy bills by 2020 were refuted by the government, which argues that its analysis shows rising oil and gas prices will mean consumers see a net gain. |
| But Simon Less, head of environment and energy at the thinktank Policy Exchange, laid out his challenge for the new minister. "Huhne oversaw the dismantling of the competitive electricity market – a UK policy success emulated across the world – through the ill-thought-through electricity market reform and failed to challenge Labour's hugely and unnecessarily expensive approach to reducing carbon emissions through an excessive focus on deploying very high cost renewable technologies (offshore wind), squandering resources which could be much better spent delivering lower cost short-term carbon reduction and doing more to stimulate low-carbon innovation for the longer term," he said. | But Simon Less, head of environment and energy at the thinktank Policy Exchange, laid out his challenge for the new minister. "Huhne oversaw the dismantling of the competitive electricity market – a UK policy success emulated across the world – through the ill-thought-through electricity market reform and failed to challenge Labour's hugely and unnecessarily expensive approach to reducing carbon emissions through an excessive focus on deploying very high cost renewable technologies (offshore wind), squandering resources which could be much better spent delivering lower cost short-term carbon reduction and doing more to stimulate low-carbon innovation for the longer term," he said. |
| "The next secretary of state for energy comes in time to alter course to reshape energy policy [by] reining back unnecessary costs while delivering more to mitigate climate change, and stopping the slide back to a risky and costly world of central planning the electricity system." | "The next secretary of state for energy comes in time to alter course to reshape energy policy [by] reining back unnecessary costs while delivering more to mitigate climate change, and stopping the slide back to a risky and costly world of central planning the electricity system." |
| • This article was amended on Saturday 4 February 2012. We initally stated Clare McNeil was talking about "electricity market reform" when she actually said "energy market reform". This has been corrected. |