The new action plan could, when published, dramatically reduce Wales' carbon dioxide emissions and pave the way for every homeowner to produce their own energy through installing affordable small-scale heat and/or electricity systems referred to as microgeneration. (1)

"Climate change is the most important issue facing the world. We must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and produce energy from alternative low carbon sources in a way that ensures we are not simply displacing the emissions to another part of the world," said

Morgan Parry, Head of WWF Cymru."Putting a wind turbine on your roof, adding solar panels or replacing old boilers with new efficient heating systems will not only help reduce Wales' carbon emissions and mitigate climate change but it will allow home owners to make major savings on their utility bills," he added.

WWF Cymru has submitted its own recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government's (WAG) proposed action plan which include:

• setting targets for the number of homes supplied by microgeneration technologies over the next five years
• urgently reviewing planning policy and guidance to increase the proportion of new build with on-site microgeneration and to facilitate retro fitting
• support a major flagship project which demonstrates political will to promote and maximise microgeneration technologies
• insist that developers of publically owned land such as the Ely Bridge development for 900 new homes in Cardiff install microgeneration technologies including a combined heat and power plant.

WWF research has suggested that microgeneration could provide 5 per cent of the UK's electricity supply by 2025. Similarly, research by the Energy Saving Trust suggests that 30-40 per cent of the UK's total electricity needs could be met through microgeneration by 2050.

However at present there are only 85,000 UK homes with any form of microgeneration, most of them involving solar water heating systems on their roofs.

"We hope that the Welsh Assembly will commit to actively promoting microgeneration in the public sector and throughout Wales. There are good examples of organisations such as the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales helping to raise public awareness of these technologies but it is clear that if this localised production of energy is to succeed the Welsh Assembly needs to provide additional resources to fund and develop it further," added Mr Parry.

Another attraction of microgeneration, according to WWF is that by decentralising electricity production it cuts the huge losses of energy that occur in the transmission of power from remote electricity plant.

"A high proportion of energy generated at power stations is lost before it reaches the home, so making electricity where it is used makes good sense," added Mr Parry.

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) has a range of microgeneration systems on display and has created an energy efficiency house which demonstrates how such technologies can be installed. For further information visit www.cat.org.uk