Tag Archives: Caroline Flint

In the second of the essays from our new pamphlet, Rio+20: Our second chance for a sustainable future?, Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint proposes a low-carbon plan for jobs and growth.

When I took over the brief as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change in 2011, I was aware of the contradiction that, on the one hand, the BBC’s Frozen Planet was gaining record viewing figures of nearly eight million while on the other hand public attitudes showed that just one month later, the number of people who rated the environment as important was just four percent. My gut instinct told me that central to my brief were prices, jobs and security. Prices – because we must have an energy market that delivers fair, competitive prices and works in the public interest. Jobs – because as the UK seeks new growth and jobs, energy generation and energy efficiency have the potential to transform our economy. And security – because the first responsibility of every Government is to keep the lights on. That’s the only way we’ll build a consensus for tackling climate change. Continue reading →