Revealed: how taxpayers fund climate change lobbyists A new report found Europe has given £75 million to green lobbying groups, including Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Network. It claims many of these groups campaign for new regulations that could lead to higher energy bills for British households. "Taxpayers pay twice: once for the grants, then again with the higher prices that result when environmentalist groups successfully campaign for new regulations," the report said. One of the taxpayer-funded groups, Climate Action Network, has just produced a campaign video accusing Britain of seeking to "sabotage" European negotiations about tougher rules on energy usage. It shows a spandex-clad climate "superhero" kidnapping a British official who is blamed for blocking the talks. "This funding is an unfair subsidy at the expense of many people who may not agree with the environmentalist campaigns" objectives," the Taxpayers" Alliance said. It biases European environmental policy and creates further costs for taxpayers as many of these groups have launched legal actions against the British Government. Friends of the Earth said European funding is only a small proportion of its total.