Tough economic times inevitably increase pressures on government and questions on deficit strategy. The British Retail Consortium have demanded that increases in fuel tax are scrapped as well as keeping the minimum wage in check. The £1bn carbon reduction commitment has hit businesses in the pocket – it is up to the conservatives to boast continual success as a result of this vital initiative. George Osborne is expected to announce some climate change relief for industries new to carbon reduction agreements.

As the international penny pinching reaches a dramatic high, is there any positive news in our plight to save the environment? At a national level yes there is. In the last 20 years, the UK have reduced their carbon emissions significantly through increased natural gas usage. Globally, energy reduction is a tough one to crack. The simple facts are that global emissions are still rising.

We have to concentrate on what we can affect. The UK is seen internationally as leaders in carbon reduction targets and results. I think that the under fire government should be applauded for not budging on this. The focus on renewables particularly nuclear is clearly long term, progressive thinking that won’t get us to the carbon reduction targets in the next 10-20 years but it does display to Europe and indeed the world that the UK understand the paucity of fossil fuels and the importance of controlling climate change.

The immediate problem caused by the economic crisis is that carbon credits / prices are decreasing. Incentivising private sector organisations is the key to carbon reduction – simple as that. There has been talk about have an international carbon price which would be initiated and governed by the United Nations (UN). We need all countries to buy into low carbon trading systems – there has been progress but the profile at a global level of where we really are with carbon reduction must be raised.