Commenting on reports that the £22bn in subsidies awarded to carbon capture and storage projects followed a sharp increase in lobbying by the fossil fuel industry, co-leader of the Green Party, Adiran Ramsay MP said:

“Revelations that this £22 billion bung to carbon capture and storage followed extensive lobbying reveals that it is the government that has been truly captured here – by the fossil fuel industry.

“Labour ditched its pledge for £28bn investment in the transition to the green economy, yet they can stump up £22bn for an unproven technology which provides an excuse for fossil fuel companies to carry on polluting.

“This money would be far better spent investing in reducing energy demand through a mass home insulation programme, in green energy and upgrading the grid – and on real carbon capture through restoring woodlands, peatlands and wetlands at scale. 

“Throwing billions into such a black hole rather than into the green transition makes no sense at all.”

Reacting to the government announcement of investment in carbon capture and storage projects, Green MP and party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: 

“Labour has spent too long listening to the pleadings of energy companies for major public investment in unproven technological solutions like carbon capture that simply won’t deliver the immediate real change we need.  

“This announcement is no substitute for the urgent and immediate investment needed in home and business insulation to cut energy use and the increased renewables funding that is badly needed to meet future energy needs.”