We are working with eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince to press for an end to a Government tax system that backs fossil fuels and punishes going green.
The system is undermining the Government’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050 which entails slashing greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting any remaining by, for example, planting trees.
Central to this is retrofitting the nation’s 28 million homes to reduce energy use – and them warmer in the process.
Brexit means Mr Sunak is no longer bound by EU VAT rules and can set his own rates to suit the UK.
And yesterday Adrian Ramsay, the chief executive of MCS Foundation – a leading charity in the renewables and green homes sector, said: “The Daily Express Campaign to make Zero Carbon = Zero VAT is just common sense.
The Daily Express is calling on Boris Johnson to show world leadership on the issue in the run-up to the G7 summit in Cornwall in June and the crunch Cop 26 climate change summit in Glasgow in November.
Our “Green Britain Needs You” campaign has already won the backing of the bosses of the biggest green groups who between them represent well over eight million members.
Even allowing for people who are members of more than one group, this constituency is far bigger than the one million members of the UK’s political parties.
The supporters include the National Trust, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, WWF, Greenpeace Friends of the Earth, the British Trust for Ornithology plus industry bodies such as Solar Energy UK and the Federation of Master Builders.
National Trust Director General Hilary McGrady said: “We are at a crossroads. It is just nine months until world leaders meet in Glasgow at COP26 to tackle the climate crisis that is devastating our natural world, home and abroad.
“Nature is in decline, homes for wildlife are vanishing before our eyes and some of our most special and significant historical places are being exposed to extreme weather events like never before.
“We can mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis though. Planting more trees and woodland, making sure our uplands and lowlands can cope with extreme rainfall – these are things that will help prevent the devastating flooding experienced by large sections of the country this year.
The government has launched a consultation on a proposed national design code for buildings in England.
The publication of the draft code is the latest step in Whitehall’s far-reaching shake-up of England’s planning system, which is expected to see all local authorities required to divide up their jurisdiction into defined areas for growth, renewal or protection. As part of this goal, authorities must set out local plans for development, drawn up with community involvement, that include local design codes.
The draft national code provides a model for how local authorities should tackle their design oversight role under the new regime, offering a checklist focused on topics such as street character, wellbeing and environmental impact.