Articles | Brown shows off green credentials

Brown shows off green credentials

Published: Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 2:13PM

Gordon Brown showed off his green credentials when he visited the British International Motor Show as it opened in London.

As well as viewing environmentally-friendly vehicles, the Prime Minister announced a raft of measures to persuade road users to go green.

After touring some of the stands, Mr Brown attended a meeting of motor industry and energy chiefs at which Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and Business Enterprise Secretary John Hutton were also present.

Addressing the meeting Mr Brown said that road transport had reached "an historic point" and that the rising cost of oil had given everyone chance to consider green alternatives.

He went on: "This has opened up a huge opportunity for technological innovation. It is a once in a generation opportunity."

He said, the number of vehicles powered by alternative sources of energy were very small and that the Government wanted to take the lead in creating incentives for low emission vehicles.

The UK, he said, was working on initiatives with a number of countries including Germany, France, Portugal and Israel, from where he has just returned.

Mr Brown said that the Government was working towards a situation where electric-powered cars could be charged-up on thousands of streets and that the Government would be bringing out this autumn a low-carbon management structure.

The Government was also working with the National Grid and energy companies at ways of introducing more electric vehicles and that the Government would be spending £90 million over the next five years as part of the drive to reduce emissions from vehicles.