Stop giving away free pollution permits worth billions

To: Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero

We the undersigned are shocked that your government handed energy giants including Shell and BP free pollution permits worth £1bn last year and plans to give them billions more.

These companies are racking up record profits while the rest of us struggle with rocketing fuel prices. Their activities are driving the climate crisis which threatens us all.

It’s not just energy firms. Incredibly, your government gave nearly £690,000-worth of these permits to a Russian airline the day after the invasion of Ukraine.

Your Emissions Trading Scheme should reduce pollution by making polluters buy a permit for every tonne of carbon dioxide they emit. Instead you’re giving them free permits worth billions of pounds.

It needs to stop now.

We demand that you stop giving away Emissions Trading Scheme permits and instead make polluters pay.