Making the green mud stick: EU renewables directive

David Cameron and the Tories are trying to portray themselves as green. They have been heavily criticising Labour’s record on protecting the environment, and on greenhouse gases. I reckon they have a decent case – Labour has not done as much as it should have done – but then again who would trust the Tories to do more?

However, I have just chanced upon this press release from DG Transport and Energy of the European Commission. The UK is one of only 4 EU Member states (along with Czech Republic, Italy and Poland!) that has not implmented the EU Renewable Energy Directive, due to be implemented by October 2003! Now, I cannot know from the press release what the reasons for this are – they might be technical – but this looks like one more bit of mud that will stick on Labour’s damaged reputation for being green. I wonder whether the Tories will even use it though? They are after all trying to be eurosceptic as well as green, so would they support the idea of a renewables directive in the first place?