Digital TV switch must be "green" to prevent extra CO2 emissions

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 8th Jul 2006

Digital TV switch must be "green" to prevent extra CO2 emissions

Liberal Democrats have warned the Government that a failure to make the switch to digital television 'green' will result in 137 000 tonnes of extra C02 emissions.

LibDem MP Don Foster has highlighted new figures showing the consequences if Ministers don't live up to the assurances he secured from the Minister earlier this week.

Mr Foster said, "Televisions on standby already cause over a million tonnes of damaging greenhouse emissions and digital set-top boxes are set to add to this environmental harm. The Government has at last accepted my campaign to encourage 'off' buttons on set-top boxes and ensure better energy efficiency labelling."

Here in Dundee, LibDem City Council Vice Convener of Environmental Services and Sustainability, Cllr Helen Dick, said, "This is a vital issue - the government had not thought through this aspect of the digital switch-over. I am pleased that Don Foster has raised the issue at Westminster."

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