Manifesto puts UK's 'green economy' in the spotlight

The EIC’s so-called ’2011 industry manifesto for driving growth and competitiveness in the UK’s green economy’ was prepared by leading business people and policy experts in the UK’s environmental industry, which has a value of £112bn, an export turnover of some £10bn and employs just under one million people.

Key recommendations in the manifesto include the introduction of a national framework of low emission zones — with minimum emission standards for on- and-off road vehicles — to support local authorities in taking action to tackle poor air quality in hotspot problem areas.

It also calls for setting legal limits for land contamination so that local authorities could define ’unacceptable risk’ to human health or the environment and, therefore, the trigger point at which land must be remediated.

The commission would also like to ensure that a forthcoming water white paper addresses OFWAT’s regulatory role to prevent the ’boom-and-bust’ five-year funding cycle of water companies, and ensure sustainability and employment in the supply chain.