Deputy Kirsten Morel believes there are measures that can be taken and work that needs to be done within the Island to help reduce carbon emissions, but he says Jersey has other competing financial pressures.
He said: ‘I think Jersey has to be careful how it approaches climate change and doesn’t
go and throw money at something that we can’t really do a great deal about. The countries that can make a difference are the UK and the USA for example.
‘What I am saying is we can’t go throwing loads of money at this when we can only make a tiny difference.
‘That is not me saying we shouldn’t do anything about it; we should play our part where we can but we need to do it in the right way.’
The government recently released a carbon-neutral strategy – a plan to reduce the Island’s carbon emissions – as well as a sustainable transport policy which aims to reduce Islanders’ use of cars.
Deputy Morel insisted he backed certain things around reducing carbon emissions but that government funds should be used to tackle Jersey’s ever-growing housing crisis and the high cost of living.
He said: ‘We should spend money on things we can impact and will have an effect, such as affordability in the Island or the housing problem we have.
‘They are things we can control and change.’
