Emergency Budget: Environment

SPEED READ The emergency budget contained little more in environmental terms than news of consultations later in the year on energy and aviation taxation and confirmation of some of the previous government’s planned tweaks to existing policy. Fiscal stabilisation understandably took priority with the relatively new field of green taxation too unfamiliar to feature in the emergency tax changes. With plans announced for the largest fiscal fires, the Government has an opportunity to engage business and develop new policy in an important area where businesses have made it clear they are seeking central leadership, and are willing to accept greater regulation and taxation, as long as it is well designed.