Oil firms spend millions on Climate Lobbying

By GSHPA

Categories: News

Niall McCarthy wrote an article in Forbes magazine in March 2019 tracking the climate change lobbying of the major oil companies and concluded that, “Every year, the world’s five largest publicly owned oil and gas companies spend some $200 million on lobbying designed to control, delay or block binding climate-motivated policy. This has caused problems for governments seeking to implement policies in the wake of the Paris Agreement which are vital in meeting climate change targets”.

The GSHPA does not have the resources to compete with the oil companies. It does, however, work with other green trade associations to contact government and make clear that there are alternative ways of heating and cooling buildings that are not based on combustion. Heat pumps do not issue any CO₂ on site , no NO₂, nor any particulates to interfere with the clean air that we all need to thrive on this planet.

Petition to Reduce Taxes on Electricity to Allow Heat Pump Installations

If you care about the future heath of human beings on this planet we would ask you to please sign the petition to request government to reduce taxes on electricity – to allow heat pump installations.

The UK imposes 23% taxes on electricity, but only 2% on gas. These taxes are preventing the decarbonisation of heat in the UK. Government needs to switch taxes from electricity to gas to allow people to run heat pumps, to fight climate change, to encourage the long-term supply chain for heat pumps, reduce imports and support clean energy.

The UK cannot start to achieve 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028 until it reduces taxes on electricity – at least for those who install heat pumps.

Signing the petition is important if you agree to any of the following:

• you believe the government should encourage the reduction of carbon emissions
• you have a heat pump
• you might invest in a heat pump
• you install heat pumps
• you believe the government should support the UK supply chain for heat pump installations
• you believe the government should support the UK supply chain for drilling for ground source energy
• you believe the government should protect those on electric heating from heat poverty
• you believe we should reduce NO₂ in cities to protect those suffering from respiratory diseases
• you believe we should reduce CO₂ emissions to try to control climate change

How to sign

It is easy to sign the petition. All that is needed is to click on Reduce Taxes on Electricity to Allow Heat Pump Installations. Then click on “Sign this petition”. You will then receive an email to which you must reply for your signature to be counted.

Already over 780 people have signed the petition. Please encourage your friends and contacts to sign as well!

Urgent Government Action Needed

The GSHPA believes that the government needs to reduce taxes on electricity to demonstrate that it is serious about fighting climate change, to drive for Net Zero carbon emissions and to support the decarbonisation of heat by encouraging the electrification of heating.

There are other actions that the government needs to take which are also important, although they may be secondary to the urgent need to reduce the taxes that are preventing people invest in heat pumps because they are waiting for a clear signal from government that they will save on the running costs of heating if they invest in heat pumps.

The other actions needed:

• to provide financial support for those who want to invest in clean heating to protect their community
• to increase the taxes on burning fuel for heating to discourage further carbon emissions
• to increase the taxes on burning fuel to discourage further NO₂ emissions which compromise the health of those with respiratory diseases

Who should benefit?

Should the reduced taxes on electricity benefit everyone who uses electricity – or just those who have invested in a heat pump?

A reduction just for those who have invested in a heat pump would cost the government very little, and provide a greater incentive to those thinking of investing in a heat pump. Owners would need to declare their use of heat pumps to their electricity supplier – and maybe even provide an MCS certificate to qualify for tax free electricity.

Alternatively, if tax was reduced on all domestic electricity use the government could lose some £10bn of annual revenue. It could recoup the loss if it transferred the lower taxes on electricity onto higher taxes for those buying gas, oil and coal.

Have you signed the petition?

Please encourage your friends and family to sign too!