The BPF Raises Climate Costs with Commons Committee

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has written to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee responding to its inquiry into the Climate Change Levy (CCL) and Climate Change Agreements (CCA).

“The BPF has called for the CCL to be scrapped and replaced with voluntary agreements with industrial sectors to achieve annual energy saving targets.” stated Peter Davis, Director General of the BPF.

“Member companies of the BPF view the CCL as unfair and feel that it not only discriminates against the plastics industry but also reduces competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.” Davis added.

The vast majority of plastics companies do not qualify for a CCA, in stark contrast to producers of metals, paper and glass. This is unreasonable because most of the plastics companies are producing energy saving products which are potential solutions to the climate change problem - light-weight plastics components which reduce the fuel consumption of cars and aeroplanes and plastics building products which improve the energy efficiency of houses.

“Finally”, the BPF concludes, “the Climate Change Levy appears close to the end of its useful life. This is due to both the controversy over the appropriateness of the Climate Change Levy and Climate Change Agreements, and the incoming Carbon Reduction Commitment, which proposes to impose yet more burdens on the medium to large scale energy users”.

The British Plastics Federation is the leading trade association of the UK Plastics Industry representing 80% of the £18bn sales turnover.

Ends . . .

For a full copy of the letter or further details on this press release please contact:

Philip Batten, British Plastics Federation, 6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3JE

Tel: 020 7457 5007

Email: [email protected]

Notes for editors

1) British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the UK trade association for the plastics industry – representing the whole supply chain including polymer producers, distributors, additives suppliers, machinery manufacturers, processors and recyclers.