Budget 2009 - what's in it for me?

So I didn't manage to extract any thoughts from NERN members about the wish list for the Budget, but at least now we have our hands on the actual thing itself. I'm sure you'll all have been pouring over it to see to what extent it matched the "green budget" rhetoric, but for those who didn't have the chance (or willpower), here are some top level highlights.

Before I get into Chapter 7 of the 2009 Budget (Building a Low-Carbon Recovery) it is worth noting a couple of other relevant points. Firstly, Fuel Duty is expected to increase by 2% per litre from September 2009 and by a minimum of 1 pence per year for the next few years afterwards. Secondly, a car scrappage scheme has been announced that aims, from next month, to provide a £2000 discount on new vehicles for owners of vehicles older than 10-years. As far as I can see this scheme does not incentive the purchase of low carbon vehicles. Finally, there is mention in of a Strategic Investment Fund worth up to £750 million – it is likely that this money will include an element of green tech funds.

Moving into Chapter 7, it is fair to say that a number of 'green' measures have been announced, representing around £1.4bn of 'new' money. The Government has set the world's first carbon budget in committing the UK to a 34% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 (as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change - CCC). There is no commitment to the 42% target recommended by the CCC in the event of a global post-Kyoto agreement. The key fiscal measures are summarised below:

• 375 million pounds for energy and resource efficiency in business, public buildings and households, including 10 million for waste infrastructure
• 405 million pounds to support development of low-carbon and advanced green manufacturing sector in the UK
• Funding for at least two and up to four CCS pilot plants, from previous plans to support just one, to test pre-combustion as well as post-combustion processes as previously planned
  60 million pounds to fund engineering and design studies for carbon capture and storage
• 70 million pounds to support decentralized small-scale and community low-carbon energy
• 525 million pounds funding for offshore wind over the next two years under the Renewables Obligation scheme
• Combined heat and power (CHP) exemption from climate change levy from 2013-23, implying 2.5 billion pounds investment, potentially adding 3 gigawatts of new power by 2015

Additional, measures announced included tax cut incentives for companies to encourage further North Sea oil production. Landfill tax will increase by £8 per tonne each year on 1 April between 2011 and 2013 and £10 million of new grants are offered to businesses to deliver anaerobic digestion.

Personally, I'm finding it a little difficult to see how I am being incentivised by the budget to be 'greener'. For example, I've mentioned previously that I've done all the simple things in my house to improve energy efficiency and that now I'd like to install some low-carbon technologies. There is nothing here for me. Of course I realise that the incentives that I am after are enclosed within the current Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, but I won't be able to access these until 2011 at the earliest. The measures in this budget may well result in me lowering my carbon footprint because of grid electricity decarbonisation, but that strikes me as a lazy approach on my behalf. Besides, I want to be able to boast about my green credentials! I think perhaps I was hoping that this budget might empower me to do something that previously I couldn't…but it doesn't. Shame really.