Crucial Climate Change Levy Discount Negotiated – Fishupdate.com

THE UK fish processing industry has won a breakthrough deal with the Government to help fish processors obtain an 80 per cent Climate Change Levy discount.

The Climate Change Levy came into force in April 2001. It applies to the purchase of electricity, gas, coal and LPG. For a typical fish processing company the Climate Change Levy has increased energy costs by about 15 per cent.

The new Agreement will allow fish processing companies to offset the financial impact of the Climate Change Levy. The Government offers an 80 per cent levy discount in return for an undertaking that the company will make a minimum improvement in energy efficiency over the next 10 years. The level of improvement required by the Government is 5 per cent for primary fish processors and 10 per cent for secondary processors. These targets can be achieved by cost effective energy saving projects.

Signing up to the Climate Change Agreement will save most companies a significant amount of money – for example, a company currently spending £25,000 per year on energy should make savings of at least £3,000 per year.

Welcoming the announcement, Robert Milne of the Scottish Fish Processing Action Plan, commented: “We are delighted to have been able to negotiate this agreement on behalf of our processors. This was one of the initiatives contained within the Scottish Fish Processing Action Plan.”

Steve Norton on behalf of the Federation of British Port Wholesale Fish Merchants, added: “This agreement is a significant milestone for our members; I am pleased that Government has responded positively to our request. The benefits will be of tremendous value both in terms of financial and environmental savings”.

•To obtain further details and application forms for the Fish Processing Industry Climate Change Levy Discount Scheme contact Enviros, the scheme administrators on: phone: 0161 874 3668; fax: 0161 848 0181; email: fish@cclevy.com.