Committee on Climate Change urges UK to invest in low carbon power

12 October 2009

UK advisory body Committee on Climate Change’s first annual report to parliament issued today proposes changes in the Government’s approach to reducing carbon emissions are needed to increase the rate of investment in alternative low carbon energy sources and meet reduction targets.

Lord Turner, chair of the committee, said, ‘With the carbon budgets in place, we now need to achieve a step change in the pace of emissions reduction. The Government needs to build on its Low Carbon Transition Plan and put in place a comprehensive delivery framework. What we have proposed is achievable and affordable but action needs to be taken now if we are to make our contribution to combating climate change.’

Chief executive of the government’s Committee on Climate Change, David Kennedy, said, ‘We are questioning whether we have gone too far in deregulating the energy market.’ He added, ‘The strongest way [to achieve lower output from utilities] is mandatory investment in low carbon power.’

The committee’s report found that although carbon reductions of two to three per cent are needed to meet the carbon targets, reductions averaged 0.5 per cent per year in the five years leading up to 2007. The faltering economy is predicted to have reduced emissions by approximately two per cent in 2008.

The report suggests that electricity generation, energy efficiency in homes and road transport emissions needed improvement to meet the low carbon targets. It implies that the electricity market is arranged at present in a way most likely to lead to increased dependence on imported gas rather than decarbonised electricity generation.

In order to meet emissions targets, it recommended a new approach including ‘carbon price strengthening’ to provide fixed prices for low carbon generation, a street-by-street approach to energy efficiency in homes, and support for new car purchases and a battery charging infrastructure.

The Committee on Climate Change is an independent organisation set up under the Climate Change Act to monitor progress and advise the UK Government on emissions targets.

Copyright © 2009 NewNet

Tags: policy

This story was published on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 11:07 am and is filed under Europe, energy efficiency, policy. You can follow any responses to article entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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