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 UK: Future Energies Now!
Posted by on 2008-12-03 13:40:13
contributed by gfoat
Last week, the UK Government introduced the world’s first long term legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change. The Climate Change Act 2008 sets a legally binding target for the UK to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80% by 2050, compared with 1990 levels. There is also a commitment to reduce emissions by 26% by 2020, but this may be increased. There is still a problem with the inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions, because if UK companies have higher costs, it could favour countries with lower standards. A carbon budgeting system will set caps on emissions over five year periods.
The Act made provision for the establishment of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an independent body of experts to advise the Government. Yesterday the Committee urged the Government to commit itself unilaterally to reducing emissions of all greenhouse gases in the UK by at least 34% by 2020 (relative to 1990 levels) and aim to achieve a global deal to reduce even further, by 42% by 2020. The CCC’s report shows how this could be achieved in the UK by moving away from fossil fuels towards cleaner forms of generating electricity and heat, including greater use of renewables, using energy more efficiently and reducing transport emissions by developing electric cars, using sustainable biofuels and more use of public transport. Overseas investments in clean energy could be allowed to contribute to the higher 42% reduction target.
Lord Turner, Chairman of the CCC, presented the budgets they have prepared and said that their proposals are achievable with available and developing technologies, at low cost to the economy. Ed Miliband, Secretary of State at the new Department of Energy and Climate Change,(DECC) thanked Lord Turner for providing these very thorough recommendations. From 2009, carbon budgets will take their place alongside financial budgets and become pivotal to policy decisions within the UK, he said.
New Green Economy Initiative
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also called for a change of investment into sustainable fuels when they launched their Green Economy Initiative in London in October. Executive Director, Achim Steiner, explained that the crises the world is now experiencing are due in part to our failure to use resources properly, including our over-reliance on finite fossil fuels. Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the UK Department for Environment (DEFRA), who hosted the launch, said that the green technological revolution needs to gather pace. Britain is committed to building a green economy at home and abroad. The areas for development include clean technologies, renewable energy, sustainable biomass, as well as sustainable cities, transportation and green buildings.
UK needs investment in renewable energy
The UK has a lot of catching up to do! According to a recent report from the House of Lords, we have one of the poorest records in Europe for investing in renewable energy. This was borne out by one of the leading UK economic consulting groups, Cambridge Econometrics, which said that the Government is projected to miss by a wide margin the legally binding target of a 15% contribution of renewables to the UK’s energy by 2020. They have consistently identified the main barriers to a low carbon economy to be higher emissions from the transport sector. To make real progress, major, innovative measures that promote a step change in the level of renewables will be needed, according to Cambridge Econometrics.
International developments
If the UK is not to be left behind, we will have to move fast because change is already underway in the type of fuel used around the world. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) current energy trends are unsustainable, socially, environmentally and economically. Although oil will continue to be available for some time, the era of cheap oil is over and prices will be volatile. The main problem they say, is to avoid abrupt and irreversible climate change, which will mean using low carbon fuels. If we can develop technologies fast enough, we could keep the global temperature rise to 2 Degrees C, which experts consider should be a safe limit. The IEA believes that it is within the power of all governments to steer the world towards a cleaner, cleverer and more competitive energy system. Time is running out and the time to act is now!
CBI’s Climate Change Summit in London
Speaking at the CBI’s Climate Change Summit in London (Tuesday 2 December), CBI Director-General Richard Lambert said the global economic crisis is not a reason for inaction on climate change.
He called on the Government to show leadership by forging ahead with its ambitious emissions reduction targets and delivering a framework for investment. Failure to do so would mean missing an opportunity to cut carbon emissions and secure the UK’s energy supply.
He said: “We must not let the global economic crisis become an excuse for inaction on climate change. Now more than ever, we need to secure a binding EU climate change deal, or the opportunity to make the transition to a low-carbon economy will slip through our fingers.
“The Government’s commitment to reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 is very ambitious and it has made a promising start with the creation of the new Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Planning Act. But we now need the Government to transform its ambition into action.
“If the Government can deliver the right framework for investment then UK businesses can take the initiative by developing and exploiting new green technologies to improve efficiency and cut costs.
“The sooner that happens, the closer we will be to creating significant numbers of green collar jobs, building future prosperity for the UK and meeting our climate change targets.”
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