Minister's £50m grant to cut CO2 emissions

Alistair Darling has announced £50m grants to reduce carbon emissions in public sector buildings to help the country meet its 60% reduction target by 2050.

The announcement supports Building 99% campaign, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of existing building stock.

Darling, the secretary of state for trade and industry, said the grants would be provided over the next 18 months to help fund the installation of micropower technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and ground source heat pumps on schools, not-for-profit and public sector buildings.

Darling said "It is vital that we cut the CO² emissions from our buildings if we are to reach the UK's 60% reduction target by 2050. Combining energy efficiency measures with the fitting of microgeneration technologies on schools and other public sector buildings can and will make a real difference.”

The grants mark phase 2 of the DTI’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) which was launched in March.

Building began its 99% Campaign earlier this year. It has received support from regulations minister Angela Smith as well as Sir Neville Simms, former Carillion chairman and chairman of the government's Sustainable Procurement Task Force; Sir Stuart Lipton, deputy chair of developer Chelsfield Partners; and Phyllis Starkey, chair of the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee.