Environmental plan branded 'half-baked'

THE States Environmental Plan is half-baked and will not achieve enough, it has been claimed.

Environmentalists at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast seminar, given by environmental policy planning group lead officer Stephen Smith (pictured), made it clear they had little faith in it making a real difference, despite being a step in the right direction.

Several business people joined the green campaigners in questioning what it could accomplish without firm funding and set targets.

'It will be extremely difficult to implement because of the lack of money, which is instead being spent on an incinerator that is totally at odds with this environmental plan,' said Yvonne Burford afterwards.

The Guernsey Climate Action Network member said it contained good ideas, but no way of implementing them or significant practical actions.

She referred to the introduction of a home energy doctor service - a professional who would visit homes and help people become more energy efficient.

'It's a good idea, but if that's the extent of your first-year plan it isn't much,' she said.

'They said this person could cover one house per day - even if he worked 365 days per year around Guernsey's thousands of homes, the world would have melted down by the time he is done.'

G-Can member Rosie Dorey said the plan was a good start.

'But it needs to be more ambitious and all the money is being spent on the wrong things,' she said.