UK government’s energy vision: our response
29 July 2010
We’ve been busy looking at the government’s new vision for the UK energy system in 2050, published yesterday. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) report, 2050 Pathways Analysis, outlines a number of ways to meet the country’s binding 2050 target for reducing greenhouse gases.
We welcome the report’s focus on decarbonising the power sector. But we urge the government to act right now to prioritise renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, and introduce CO2 performance standards on power plants.
Colin Butfield, our head of campaigns, said: "The power sector needs to be rapidly decarbonised and it is welcome that the government's pathways recognise this. The UK has vast renewable energy potential that will not only help keep the lights on but will also boost energy security by reducing reliance on costly imported fossil fuels. Combined with a progressive strategy on energy efficiency this is where the government's priorities must lie, rather than on an energy policy that depends on new unsustainable nuclear power and the waste legacy that it entails."
"The forthcoming Energy Bill provides an excellent opportunity to put some of the policies in place which will help transform the power sector and drive emission reductions in homes. It is important that the Green Deal is ambitious enough in scope to incentivise large numbers of homeowners and we also urge the government to include CO2 performance standards for power plants. An Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) will help drive innovation in the sector and provide long-term certainty for investors."
The DECC has developed an online tool for the public to explore 134 different scenarios on how UK energy system might evolve and understand the consequences of each scenario. Each scenario is made up of different rate of energy demand, different options of energy supply and the greenhouse gas emissions consequences of each choice.
You can:
- Sign our petition calling on the government to make sure that the new Energy Bill is as green as possible
- Use the DECC online tool to decide on your preferred scenario for UK energy
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