Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said that the Government's Green Deal to radically overhaul the energy efficiency of homes and small businesses could support a quarter of a million jobs over the next 20 years. The Green Deal will be a new way of making energy efficiency affordable for all. The upfront finance will be attached to the building's energy meter and people can pay back over time with the repayments less than the savings on bills.

Defra wants to work with businesses to help them reduce their waste and increase recycling through voluntary responsibility deals.

Working with firms to put in place voluntary responsibility deals on waste will, it is argued, remove the need for further regulation and will lead to less waste and more recycling with the added benefits of businesses saving money and helping to protect the environment.

By encouraging competition between signatories to achieve the outcomes and stimulate growth and innovation the changes can be delivered cost effectively.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland have fallen 20% since 1990, according to the latest official statistics. The figures show a 3% reduction between 2007 and 2008 with total emissions falling from 57.8M tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2007 to 56.1Mt CO2e in 2008.

Taking emissions trading into account, Scotland's emissions have fallen by 21.2% from 1990 - meaning Scotland has reached the halfway point in achieving its 2020 Climate Change Act target of reducing emissions by 42%.

David Cameron has announced the UK's first ever infrastructure plan, identifying the scale of the infrastructure challenge and the major economic investment that is needed to underpin sustainable growth in the UK. The Government has committed over £40B to infrastructure projects as part of the Spending Review. The plan includes:

investing in a new low-carbon economy - including a Green Investment Bank and up to £1B for one of the world's first commercial-scale CCS demo projects

providing the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015

investing £30B in transport - including a high speed rail network and Crossrail

and ensuring that the UK remains a world leader in science

DECC has set out how it will license the storage of carbon dioxide under the sea bed, following responses to its recent consultation on the geological storage of CO2.

During the consultation, developers, industry bodies and other interested parties gave their view on potential plans for the broad structure of the proposed licensing system. This includes a proposal for having a licence which would cover all phases of such developments.

UK-manufactured low carbon products that are exported worldwide are being showcased as part of an exhibition at BIS to encourage more companies into this growing market, Business minister Mark Prisk has announced.

With the global market for low carbon goods and services projected to rise to over £4T by the middle of the next decade, BIS wants to work with the manufacturing industry to attract new businesses to the sector and encourage them to start exporting. The Government is committed to promoting all manufacturing as it is critical to economic growth with responsibility for 53% of UK exports and 2.8M jobs.

Exhibits are provided by Intelligent Energy, Flow Control and Tata Steel.

Six winning projects - which, together with contributions from business, will receive total funding of £52M - are part of the latest Technology Strategy Board competition. Projects include the development of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight electric bin wagon, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new technologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance.

The Government also set out the eligibility criteria for its Plug-in Car Grant. Under the scheme motorists will receive a grant of up to £5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars. In order to be eligible, cars must meet appropriate safety standards and must have been crash tested. They must also meet minimum range and performance criteria.

The Government believes that this combined support will place the UK at the forefront of low carbon automotive development and provide a vital economic boost for the UK economy by giving us a key competitive advantage in this increasingly important global market.