Saturday 7 February 2009

Roads 1, Climate Sanity 0

Last week two unrelated but very related stories crossed our desk.

Firstly, the Northwest Development Agency (based in Warrington, one of seven English “development agencies”) had released £1.6 million for a charity called Groundwork to provide financing for local carbon emission-reducing projects. The catch is that Groundwork must find 3 million over the next three years from other sources.

Secondly, on February 5th, the Department for (new runways and) Transport has ponied up “an extra £13m to improve local roads in the North West.” On top of £285 million already allocated for highways maintenance in the region.

So, £13 million right now to encourage more transport-related carbon emissions, but charities have will have to scramble and hustle like mad to support climate change mitigation.... That thud you hear is satirists' bodies hitting the ground.

PS And you have to wonder, will Groundwork be chasing the same finite pot of private-sector money that the Manchester Climate Change Agency wants to get hold of?

No comments: