Has Brown been green enough?

We were all ears listening to the environmental issues in Mr Brown's budget yesterday, but were his ramblings much cop? The general consensus is that although Brown has increased road tax for the most polluting cars (such as 4x4s) from £175 to £210, that is not nearly enough.  Both Greenpeace [see story here] and Friends of Earth say that the rise will not discourage road users from driving gas guzzling cars.  FOE feel that Brown's commitment to an Annual Carbon Report needs to be linked to a statutory requirement for annual cuts in climate changing pollution (as per The Big Ask campaign).  Friends of the Earth generally welcome most of the changes but feel they need to be backed up by policy and legislation, particularly in relation to energy efficency and related technology.

Brown's changes which effect the Environment at a glance (words by the BBC):

Mr Brown said he rejected calls for the abolition of the climate change levy and instead would index the charge in line with inflation from 2007 to cut CO2 emissions further

He would propose a World Bank scheme to help developed economies to invest in new forms of energy in developing nations

A new £1bn energy and environmental research institute was being set up, funded by government and private industry

To make homes more environmentally friendly, Mr Brown promised new incentives for piloting "smart metering" and a new labelling scheme for energy efficient goods to make homes greener

A quarter of a million extra homes would be insulated over the next two years

Cars with the lowest rate of emissions would pay no vehicle excise duty but the 1% of most polluting cars would pay £210

Mr Brown postponed the usual annual inflation increase in fuel duty until 1 September

Source: BBC News - At a Glance: Budget

Pictured: T-shirt available to buy from Alliance Against Urban 4x4's  [Ella]