New plan to help homes cut emissions starts today

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband has outlined Government’s latest measures to help householders save money and energy as he welcomed 10:10 – a new campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband has outlined Government’s latest measures to help householders save money and energy as he welcomed 10:10 – a new campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

- Around 90,000 homes in some of the poorest areas in the UK should see an average saving of 20% per year in their emissions through a new community based energy saving scheme which starts today. This amounts to financial savings of around £300 per year off fuel bills.

- In the past year, more than 1.2 million homes have received some form of insulation under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target with enough professional loft insulation installed to stretch from London to Sydney and back. The number of households getting this help through energy companies has been increased, with Government recently increasing the target by 20%.

Responding to the 10:10 campaign, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has confirmed that it is on course to cut its own emissions at its London headquarters by 10% by April 2010 and it will make further reductions through the rest of 2010 and beyond. DECC staff have been encouraged by Ed Miliband to join him in taking up the 10:10 pledge in their homes and lifestyles.

Ed Miliband said:

“As government, we are in the best position to make it as easy as possible for everyone to cut their carbon emissions.

“By signing up to the10:10 campaign, I hope people will be sending a broader message to governments round the world. They need to agree a global deal at Copenhagen that is ambitious in cutting emissions, fair to developing countries and effective in holding countries to their word.

“We will cut emissions in the UK by at least a third by 2020. Concerted action shows the world we are serious about tackling climate change ahead of the crucial climate talks in Copenhagen.”

Government support

Helping householders to make a contribution to cutting 10% in 2010

- A new Community Energy Saving Programme starts today. Around £350 million will be spent by energy companies over the next three years to deliver whole house, whole street energy makeovers concentrating on some of the most vulnerable people in the UK.

- The Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT), an obligation on energy suppliers to promote household carbon reductions is operating at a higher level than ever before, with the target recently increased. In 2010 topping up a loft could contribute around 2% to a 10% saving.

- In 2010, we’ll start trialling “Pay As You Save”. This is a new way of paying for whole house energy retrofits as part of our commitment to treat 7 million homes by 2020.

- From today the EU will be phasing out old fashioned 100W and all pearl light bulbs. Money saving energy efficient ones will replace them.

- The government’s ACT ON CO2 website has lots more energy saving advice and top tips to help save 10% in 2010, including a carbon calculator to work out carbon footprints
- www.direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2
Helping businesses to make a contribution to cutting 10% in 2010

- The Carbon Reduction Commitment will come in to force in 2010 which will affect around 5,000 businesses – including all government departments. It will not only deliver massive carbon savings but businesses taking action will also benefit from lower fuel bills and will yield a benefit to businesses of around £1billion.

- Interest free loans of up to £400,000 are currently available from the Carbon Trust for small and medium size businesses to improve on energy efficiency.
Government’s 10:10 commitment

DECC has committed to reducing emissions from its headquarters in London by 10% by April 2010. We will be achieving this through making changes to the heating and air conditioning systems, more energy efficient lighting.

All government departments have signed up to playing their part in achieving the world’s first carbon budgets, which will set the UK on track to reaching our emissions cuts in 2020 and 2050. Each department is already taking steps to reduce emissions - for example, when the Home Office replaces its fleet cars it has committed to selecting the most efficient, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is using software which switches off computers during non-working hours.

In Number 10, reductions are also already occurring – for example, the Downing Street complex has a D rating Display Energy Certificate for operational energy performance. This is well below typical energy use for comparable Grade 1 Listed buildings, 50% of the energy used is from an efficient Combined Heat and Power plant. Energy efficient light bulbs are used wherever possible in staterooms, offices and meeting rooms.

Across Government we will be looking at what more can be done over the coming months.

Miliband takes action on queue to connect new power generation to the grid

New rules to revamp the way power plants get connected to the UK’s power grid are proposed today by Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband.

The shake-up will help new projects waiting to get a date to feed electricity into the grid to get out of the queue, and will in particular help renewable energy projects such as wind farms.

There is currently over 60 GW of new generation capacity – around 200 projects – that are waiting to be connected to the grid, including around 17 GW from renewable sources.

Ed Miliband announced as part of the Government’s Low Carbon Transition Plan in July that the Government would reform the previous system of projects getting a connection date on a first come, first served basis regardless of when the project would start generating energy. This meant some wind farms were given connection dates years after when they were due to start producing electricity. Today’s consultation offers industry a say on three options for how the new system will work.

The proposed scheme will also give investors confidence that projects will be given a connection date that fits in with their project development timeline.

Ed Miliband said:

“Access to the electricity grid has been one of the key barriers to the generation of renewable energy in this country. We are determined to resolve this issue. That is why we took powers to do so in the Energy Act and today we are setting out our proposals.

“We need these new projects to get hooked up to the grid as soon as they are ready – both to help tackle climate change and secure our future energy supplies.

“The government will do whatever is necessary to bring about the transition to a low carbon economy and to give investors the certainty they need so that new renewable energy generation is built.”

For the first time, the Government will be making the detailed reforms to grid access rules that are necessary to overcome the delays. Previously, reforms were proposed by industry and then approved or rejected by the regulator, Ofgem.

There are three proposed models that DECC is consulting on from today that build on industry and Ofgem’s work over the last year.
The three models look at different ways to manage the queue and to share the cost of connecting more plants to the system that is to be expected from this system.

The models are:

Connect and Manage (Socialised): - costs will be shared between all users of the network.

Connect and Manage (Hybrid): A model that targets some, but not all, of the additional constraint costs on new entrant power stations.

Connect and Manage (Shared Cost and Commitment): A model that offers the choice to new and existing power stations to commit to the network (which is helpful to Grid in terms of long term management of system) in return for greater certainty over charges, or to opt out and be exposed to additional constraint costs.

Ofgem has already approved interim arrangements to help new power stations connect more quickly, and under these interim arrangements around 1 GW of renewable projects in Scotland have already been offered earlier connection dates. However this was only ever intended as an interim measure and Government is intervening to ensure enduring access arrangements are put in place by June next year. This will be essential for investor confidence that we have a long-term and sustainable framework in place.

Extra finance to start flowing for wind power

Three UK-based banks start work today with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on a programme to lend up to £1 billion to onshore wind farms over the next 3 years.

- Up to £1 billion of loans for onshore wind farms
- Up to £10 million of Government grants for offshore wind technology development

Three UK-based banks start work today with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on a programme to lend up to £1 billion to onshore wind farms over the next 3 years.

The cash, part of the additional £4 billion of EIB lending to support UK energy projects announced in the Budget, will help get building started for onshore wind projects which have been hit by the credit crunch, particularly small and mid-sized wind farms.

The banks – RBS, Lloyds and BNP Paribas Fortis – have been teamed up with the EIB by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and HM Treasury, following the announcement in April’s Budget Statement that the Government wanted to get more EIB lending to UK renewables.

Firms can also apply for DECC cash from today to develop offshore wind technology. There will be up to £10 million in grants, part of the £120 million announced in the renewable energy strategy last week to support offshore wind. This is the second round of cash for development of offshore wind technology.

DECC is also confirming today that, subject to agreement on suitable grant offer conditions, it also intends to make an award under the first round of this programme for Vestas Technology UK Ltd’s research and development centre on the Isle of Wight. This proposed award – more than £6 million - would include over £3m of funding from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). We expect to make other announcements on awards under this first round of funding shortly.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“Earlier this month we laid out a transition plan to a low carbon economy that included a massive expansion of green wind energy. The resources we are announcing back up our plans with clear actions to ensure we deliver.

“The European Investment Bank funds will help the building start on consented wind farms that could provide 1 gigawatt of electricity, enough to power more than half a million homes.

“The money for the development of offshore wind manufacturing will help us generate green jobs on top of our success as the leading country in the world for the generation of offshore wind.

"Alongside these proposals, we are reforming planning laws, finding new ways of working with local communities and are determined to persuade people that we need a significant increase in onshore wind as part of the UK's future energy mix.

“That is essential for the generation of renewable energy and for Britain to have an industrial future in the production of onshore wind."

Ian Pearson MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury said:

“The £4bn of lending to the energy sector that we announced in the Budget is just part of the £10bn of lending that we hope to see coming into the UK economy from the EIB this year, nearly three times last year's total. I am pleased at the success we are having working in partnership with EIB to provide financing to this and other important sectors.”

EIB Vice President Simon Brooks said:

“The development of the UK’s wind energy capacity will support the European Union’s and national targets for renewable energy generation. As well as helping to reduce greenhouse gasses it will strengthen the security of energy supplies. This initiative underlines the EIB’s long involvement, as the EU’s financing arm, in the UK’s energy sector and reinforces efforts to reduce the impact of climate change”.

Greens object to police tactics at Vestas occupation

Police at the Vestas wind turbine factory occupation on the Isle of Wight have been preventing food being brought to protesters.

Acting without an injunction on private property, police officers have forcibly removed people, and repeatedly tried to break into the office where the protesting workers have barricaded themselves.

Police have also threatened the workers with arrest for aggravated trespass, despite no damage to the property where the protest is taking place.

Jenny Jones, home affairs spokesperson for the Green Party, said:

"This is a very heavy handed response and will do the police no favours with the general public who will understand the need to keep the company going. Factory occupations are usually a civil matter and using the police to deny people food is shameful and far from progressive policing. Workers protesting to keep their jobs shouldn't be starved out by the police."

Darren Johnson, the party's spokesperson on trade and industry, and parliamentary candidate for Lewisham Deptford, will be speaking at an emergency demonstration in front of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, 3 Whitehall Place (next to Trafalgar Square), at 6pm tonight.

Johnson said that:

"The government says it supports a seven-fold increase in renewables, but it is failing to stop the loss of 600 wind turbine manufacturing jobs at Vestas. The closure of the Vestas plant would lead to a 20% increase in unemployment across the Isle of Wight. Now is the time for Ed Miliband to match actions with words, starting with Vestas."

Carbon trading vital to climate change success – PM Report

A global carbon trading network will be vital to preventing dangerous climate change, a new report commissioned by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown concluded today.

The report makes clear that without a global system for carbon trading, the ability of countries to avoid dangerous climate change will be limited and the costs of action increased.

The report follows the Prime Minister’s recent proposal on how developed and developing countries can agree new ways to pay for tackling climate change. He urged countries to work together on a global figure of $100 billion a year needed by 2020 to help developing countries reduce their emissions, tackle deforestation and adapt to the climate change already being experienced. The carbon market could provide a significant proportion of that sum.

The Global Carbon Trading report, by the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Carbon Trading, Mark Lazarowicz MP, looks at the role that cap and trade systems can play as part of the global response to preventing dangerous climate change – and the steps needed to expand and link trading systems over the next decade.

Carbon markets themselves will not however be sufficient to successfully tackle climate change and are needed alongside strong domestic action to cut emissions. The UK Government is committed to meeting its required 34% cut in emissions by 2020 through domestic action alone, apart from emissions covered under the EU Emissions Trading System where limits on offsetting are set at EU level. The UK’s Low Carbon Transition Plan, published on 15 July, sets out the domestic actions required to meet its carbon budgets.

Mark Lazarowicz MP said:

“Climate change is an international threat that needs international action. The evidence shows that global carbon trading can deliver substantial cuts in greenhouse gases rapidly and cost-effectively.

“Cap and trade should be combined with targeted regulation, taxation and public finance for comprehensive action. This report proposes action in developed countries at two levels - ambitious national targets and a network of linked cap and trade systems for emitters.

“Reducing emissions in developing countries will be crucial. We need a global system that goes beyond offsetting while delivering financial flows to the developing world. The report shows how we can achieve that.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
“Developing the global carbon market is vital if we’re to succeed in helping the world avoid dangerous climate change.

“The carbon market can deliver a substantial part of the $100 billion a year needed by 2020 to help developing countries reduce their emissions, tackle deforestation and adapt to the climate change already being experienced.

“So I very much welcome Mark Lazarowicz’s report which shows that with the right reforms and participation, global carbon trading – alongside strong domestic effort - can help the world meet the tough emissions reduction targets as demanded by the science”.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“Domestic action by developed and developing countries is essential to meet the challenge of climate change. So is public finance to help developing countries to adapt to climate change and make the transition to low carbon.

“Carbon trading can also play a role: as a way to get cost-effective emissions reductions and help provide finance to developing countries. This report is an important contribution to showing how carbon markets can do that.

“To make carbon markets work best in tackling climate change, we need a global network, building on the EU emissions trading system and plans in the US and Australia. By making carbon trading work, we can make it far more likely that we tackle dangerous climate change, get cost-effective emissions reductions and get money to the poorest countries of the world."

The report concludes that:

* Cap and trade systems can provide ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon and ensuring that the polluter pays.

* While central to tackling climate change, cap and trade will need to act alongside a range of other targeted policies, such as domestic effort to introduce feed-in tariffs on renewable energy and public finance for developing carbon capture and storage.

* Global carbon trading could reduce the costs of cutting emissions by up to 70%. Potentially, this could allow the world to cut global emissions by an additional 40-50% at the same cost compared to domestic action alone. This would give a greater chance of making the big cuts necessary to stop global temperatures increasing above 2 degrees centigrade – the threshold for dangerous climate change.

* Carbon trading will also provide substantial financial flows to the developing world to support their transition to a low carbon economy.

* Cap and trade systems – like the EU’s - are already operating or planned in over 35 countries in the developed world. These will need to be coordinated and linked to form a global network, creating a more comprehensive, effective international system. Linking the EU and a possible US federal system by 2015 would be ambitious but achievable.

* Advanced developing countries such as China and Brazil could also start to take part in such systems, including key sectors like the power sector. Having more advanced developing countries engaging in sectoral trading could achieve substantial cuts in emissions at low or no net cost to themselves in 2015.

* Scaled-up mechanisms for supporting developing countries to cut emissions are needed that are more efficient and equitable than the current Clean Development Mechanism. These should be designed to provide substantial real emissions reductions that go beyond offsetting and deliver financial flows to the developing world. Using sectoral trading rather than the CDM could reduce the global cost of emission cuts financed through carbon trading by around a half, enabling developed countries to make deeper emissions cuts.

* The international community needs to provide urgent support to developing countries to build capacity for accessing carbon finance, including technical knowledge sharing and funds for measuring, legal and institutional reforms. This could cost up to $5bn in total over the next 10 years and will need to come from non-market sources that are effectively coordinated.

What are carbon markets?
Systems that allow trading between companies or countries are often known as ‘cap and trade’ because they operate by ‘capping’ the total emissions and allowing the participants to ‘trade’ emissions allowances. Each participant must regularly ‘reconcile’ their emissions budgets by ‘surrendering’ an allowance for every tonne of CO2 emitted. This encourages them to reduce their emissions if they can do so for less than the cost of allowances. Alternatively they can comply with the system by buying allowances from elsewhere. The EU ETS is the only functioning national and transnational carbon emissions trading system. Emissions trading systems currently planned in other countries could result in 17% to 35% of global emissions being covered by 2015.

Trading in emissions was started in the United States in 1990. The US trading system for sulphur dioxide reduced emissions by 43% between 1990 and 2007, three years ahead of schedule and at a quarter of the predicted cost. And the EU Emissions Trading System, which is now in its second phase has already started impacting on company decisions to reduce emissions.

Local projects receive £600,000 in ‘big green challenge plus’

Community projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and developing clean, local energy sources are set to receive up to £20,000 funding under a new partnership between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and NESTA

Community projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and developing clean, local energy sources are set to receive up to £20,000 funding under a new partnership between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and NESTA.

The collaboration between DECC and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) will see direct funding and support packages, worth a total of £600,000, provided by DECC to 17 grassroots projects across England. NESTA will administer the scheme.

A low carbon co-operative in Manchester, a project to deliver local hydro power from water mills near Bath, and a plan to install renewable energy technologies on local farms around Winchester, are among the projects to receive funding under the ‘Big Green Challenge Plus’ partnership.

The new money is in addition to funding already allocated by NESTA to 10 Big Green Challenge finalists, announced in October. The winners of the original Challenge will be revealed later this year, sharing in prize money of £1 million. Because of the calibre of the applicants, DECC has agreed to provide funding for a further 17 projects.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“Local solutions to the global problem of climate change are vital if we are to make the shift to a low-carbon future. Yesterday we set out how the Government will achieve this in our UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, but we also need the support of householders and communities across the nation. The winners of Big Green Challenge Plus provide an example of the grassroots action we need to encourage in order to meet our goals.

“I was impressed by the quality of the shortlisted projects – and heartened to see so many people and groups across the country showing real initiative and ingenuity in their approaches.

“We want to support people in their efforts so they can reap the benefits of cleaner energy, a better quality of life, and stronger, cohesive communities.”

NESTA chief executive Jonathan Kestenbaum, said:

“We think that the Big Green Challenge Plus is an inspiring project and that’s been reflected in the high-standard of innovative ideas that have been submitted.

“Community involvement is a vital element in tackling climate change but it’s one piece of the jigsaw that is often ignored by policy makers. So it’s great news that this kind of approach is being recognised by Government.

“We know there is no ‘miracle cure’ to the environmental challenges that we face but giving people the opportunity to get actively involved has to play its part.”

Government energy announcements - Greenpeace response

Overview

Responding to today's government energy announcements, John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said:

"If this plan becomes a reality, it will create hundreds of thousands of green jobs and make Britain a safer and more prosperous country. This will be good for the British economy and, in the long-run, save householders money as we reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas.

"Ed Miliband appears to be winning important battles in Whitehall. But it's crucial that these plans now get full cross-party support and more backing from the Chancellor. The renewable energy industry is too important to become a political football and this strategy for green jobs deserves more than the current paltry sums being offered by the Treasury."

Renewable energy

Jim Footner, senior energy campaigner for Greenpeace, said:

"Britain's renewable industry needs to form the cornerstone of our response to the climate crisis. So Ed Miliband should be congratulated for standing up to giant utilities like Eon and EdF and providing this boost to the British renewable sector.

"Now we need cross-party consensus, because this isn't just about hitting vital climate targets. It's also about securing our energy supply, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating a much needed boost for the British economy."

• The UK has one of the best renewable energy resources in Europe. Yet we languish near the bottom of the European league table in terms of our ability to exploit it. The UK currently generates just 5% of our electricity from renewable sources, compared to 12% in Germany, and 27% in Spain.
• It is good news that the Climate Change Secretary has chosen to implement powers introduced last year to set the grid access regime and speed up access to the grid for renewable energy capacity. Renewable energy must get priority access to the grid.
• Ed Miliband has also heeded that calls from across the energy debate to amend the remit of the regulator OFGEM, which has for too long represented a barrier to the development of renewables. OFGEM will now have to include decarbonisation in the face of climate change within its primary duties - an important change.
• The UK's status as a world leader in marine energy technologies is recognised with the allocation of money for further research and development as well as the identification of a ‘Low Carbon Economic Area' in the South West of England, announced in the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy. The budget of just £60 million fails to give this emerging industry the full support it deserves.
• On planning, the strategy proposes measures enable renewable energy applications that currently face years of delay in the planning system to gain quicker approval. It is crucial for the successful implementation of the strategy that these planning reforms (particularly for onshore wind farms) are taken seriously by local authorities considering applications. It is therefore necessary that strategy as a whole, but particularly the strategy on planning gains cross party support.

Low Carbon Industrial Strategy

Robin Oakley, head of Greenpeace's climate and energy team, said:

"If Miliband's vision was to become a reality it would create hundreds of thousands of green jobs and make Britain a safer and more prosperous country. But that won't happen with the paltry budgets being offered by the Treasury. It is scandalous that Miliband's low carbon ambitions, which have potential to create whole new green industries, are met with a budget that is only about half the amount the Chancellor allocated for bonuses for a bunch of failed RBS bankers.

"For years the UK has lagged behind the rest of Europe on renewables. If Britain is to catch up, and to benefit from the economic boost, job creation and security of energy supply that our clean energy resources offer, it will require the Chancellor to get behind Ed Miliband's efforts."

• The Carbon Trust estimates that up to a quarter of a million jobs could be created in the UK through the delivery of the efficiency and renewable energy targets.
• The focus on offshore wind, wave and tidal is right and the recognition that regional development for new clean technologies, with research and supply chain to support then, is sound.
• Britain leads the world in the research on wave and tidal power with some of the pioneering companies sited here. But the only wave project in operation in a commercial environment - designed in the UK - is located in Portugal, because UK support was lacking. Government should follow up this welcome expression of support for marine renewables in the Southwest with more development clusters for renewables and more money to help accelerate the commercialization of the leading designs in these technologies here in the UK.
• More could be done to support the training and development of the construction industry to help deliver a national refit improving British homes, making them warmer, cheaper to run and low carbon. Energy efficiency measures offer nationwide job creation opportunities and long term skilled jobs, especially in the construction sector which has been badly effected by the recession.
• According to reports in February 2009 bonuses at RBS reached £775 million http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/feb/18/rbs-bonuses this highlights the paucity of the total budget of £405 for low carbon industrial development and the spending announced today from that budget that includes only £180 million of direct funding for renewable energy development.

Carbon Budgets

Robin Oakley, head of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign, said:

"It's a step towards a much more coherent climate policy that each government department will now have its own carbon budget. And it's also good news that Miliband reaffirmed the government's commitment to a 34% cut in emissions by 2020. However, the latest climate science suggests he needs to be much more ambitious in this area and it's vital that the reductions are all genuinely made here in the UK and not replaced with offsets in other countries."

• Following new legislation last year (the Climate Change Act), the Government will have to operate within a ‘carbon budget' in the same way it has to operate in a financial budget. If they go over the carbon budget, they'll have to do something about it.
• There is a new adviser to Government on what these carbon budgets should be - the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
• The UK has to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050.
• The CCC recommended, and the government agreed, to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2020. Although if there is a decent agreement in Copenhagen later this year, this will be increased to around a 42% cut, which is more in line with what we need to avoid dangerous climate change.

Transport

Anita Goldsmith, head of Greenpeace's transport campaign, said:

"After Ed Miliband made such positive statements on renewable energy today, it is a shame to see that the Department for Transport has let the side down yet again.

"It is hard to see how such weak policies will deliver the kinds of emissions cuts we need, and any real progress will be wiped out by the department's ongoing obsession with unrestrained aviation growth."

"It is important not to let the DfT fool anyone into believing that they are driving forward increased vehicle efficiency when in fact they lobbied against this in the EU, leading to weaker targets and slower progress.

"Overall this package tinkers at the edges, whilst letting the real problems embedded within road and air transport go unchallenged. We're hoping that Adonis will soon get his department under control and align it with the wider priorities of the government."

• If plans to expand Heathrow go ahead, it will become the biggest single source of carbon dioxide in the UK and will wreck the Government's chances of meeting climate change targets.
• The Government's own figures show that aviation currently accounts for 13% of Britain's total climate change impact and threatens to undermine all other efforts to cut emissions in other sectors.
• The global warming impact of emissions from aviation are predicted to double from 2006 to 2030.
• By 2050, on this trajectory, the aviation sector alone could use up the UK's entire carbon budget, making it almost impossible for the UK to meet its targets and damaging other parts of the economy forced to make up the difference.
• Small increases in the efficiency of planes will be overwhelmed by an unrestrained growth in flights and including aviation in the ETS will not solve the problem.
• According to a report from Ernst and Young, even in the toughest Emissions Trading Scheme scenario, emissions from the aviation sector would grow by 83% by 2020. T&E background briefing (2007) Including Aviation in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) page 6.
• Electrifying our road transport network could be a vital step in the fight against climate change. But this must be done alongside radical improvements in vehicle efficiency standards and be accompanied by investment in additional renewable sources of energy generation.
• The DfT lobbied on the recently agreed EU regulations to reduce emissions from new cars to an of average 130gCO₂/km by 2012. The proposed target was originally for 120gCO2/km. There are already cars on the market that can deliver 99gCO2/km or less, such as the VW Polo Blue Motion, as well as petrol-hybrid vehicles that are even lower.
• The electrification of rail and move towards low emissions buses are good initiatives but remain a small part of the overall transport problem. According to the DfT's own figures, rail accounts for 1.7% of total UK domestic transport emissions with buses accounting for 2.3%. http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/energyenvironment/climatechangefactsheets.pdf
• Road transport and aviation remain the biggest problems, with road transport accounting for 92.3% of domestic transport emissions.
• The focus on greener driving techniques also puts the onus on individuals rather than the delivery of the big infrastructure changes that urgently need to take place in the transport sector. Essentially, this is a transparent attempt to pass the buck on to drivers - the very opposite of the sort of leadership we need.

Biofuels

Reacting to new figures on the source of the UK's biofuels, Greenpeace chief scientist Dr. Doug Parr said:

"It is a scandal that 27 million litres of Indonesian palm oil were pumped into our tanks last year, of which not a single drop met the Government's own environmental standard. Companies like Tesco are selling their customers biofuel from unknown sources which could be wrecking the climate and destroying rainforests. It's time for Lord Adonis to abandon this misguided policy and start again".

Key findings of the Renewable fuel agency fourth quarter report, 2008/9:http://www.renewablefuelsagency.org/_db/_documents/RFA_quarterly_report_Apr_2008_Apr_2009.pdf.

• A tenth of the UK's biofuel - 123 million litres - was produced from palm oil over the past year.
• 27 million litres of Indonesian palm oil were pumped into our tanks this year, of which not a single drop met the Government's own environmental standard (the RTFO meta standard). This is a scandal, because palm oil is one of the main causes of rainforest destruction and its production is actually speeding up climate change. A tenth of all the biofuel we used was palm oil
• Several companies (Chevron, Murco, and Topaz) have not reported any biofuels meeting the qualifying environmental standard, and Esso have reported less than 2% of their biofuels meeting a qualifying environmental standard.
• Less than a quarter of the biofuel (24%) we're using has met the Government's own sustainability standard.
  

TRANSMISSION CHARGES REGIME MUST CHANGE

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT SETS BENCHMARK ON CUTTING CARBON

A commitment from the UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary to look at concerns about energy transmission charges has been welcomed today (Wednesday) after the SNP raised the issue following the publication of the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan white paper.

The Energy and Climate Change Secretary announced that he would take over responsibility for imposing a new regime for access to the electricity grid. SNP Westminster Energy spokesperson Mike Weir MP called on the Minister to go further and tackle the ongoing problems of transmission and balancing charges within the grid.

Mr Weir welcomed Mr Miliband’s assurance that he would look at the matter and added:

“This low carbon plan is a real opportunity to finally tackle these issues. The commitment to tackle the access arrangement is long overdue and welcome. The associated problems of transmission and balancing charges, which act against renewable generation in Scotland , must also be tackled.

“If the UK government is serious about tackling climate change then they are going to have to end the unfair transmission and locational charges regime.

“It makes no sense to hammer generators because of their location, especially since so much of the UK ’s potential for wave, tidal and wind power is in Scotland . No other country in Europe operates such a ridiculous scheme, and if the UK government’s low carbon proposals are to have any chance of success they will need to establish a level playing field for energy firms in Scotland .

“The current situation creates uncertainty for investment, and seriously undermines renewables projects.

“The Scottish Government has set the benchmark in developing a low carbon economy - by backing investment in green, renewable energy sources and leading the way with tough climate change targets.

“ Scotland has led the way and shown the ambition and courage to set the high targets everyone knows we need, and the UK Government must now follow in those footsteps.”

Kingsnorth stand-off ends

A dramatic stand-off at Kingsnorth power station in Kent has ended after four Greenpeace campaigners, who boarded a coal freighter bound for the power station last night, came down from the foremast after being served with an injunction.

Greenpeace volunteers intercepted the freighter using rigid inflatable speedboats just after midnight this morning. As the ship sped towards Kingsnorth the campaigners attached climbing ladders to the vessel and scaled the 15 metre hull.

Sarah Shoraka, speaking just before leaving the freighter, said: "We climbed onto this ship, and stayed onboard throughout the night and all day, because coal is the most climate-damaging fuel known to man. If we keep burning coal, we can't beat climate change.

"But Ed Miliband's new policies would still allow Eon to build the dirtiest new power station in Britain for thirty years."

Land next to the existing plant at Kingsnorth has been earmarked for the construction of the first new coal-fired power station in Britain for 30 years. The highly controversial plans have sparked a series of protests, but this is the first time a coal shipment to the site has been blocked and boarded. The Government claims a new Kingsnorth plant will be cleaner, but in reality under the new policy, announced in April, it would still pump three-quarters of its emissions into the atmosphere for years to come - six million tonnes of CO2 every year.

The Greenpeace members who were on board the ship say by stopping the coal cargo being burned they were protecting people and property around the world from the devastating effects of climate change.

UK decisions on coal have an international impact. This year's international meetings on climate change, designed to prepare the groundwork for the summit in Copenhagen this December, have been uniformly unproductive, and the success of the Copenhagen talks is now highly uncertain. Brown will need to do everything in his power to give the UK and EU negotiating positions political and scientific credibility, both with his policies and his presence, if there is to be a chance of a meaningful agreement.

The G8 meeting in Italy on the July 8^th provides a key opportunity to go into Copenhagen with some progress having been made. Greenpeace urges the Prime Minister to seize this opportunity to show some leadership and rescue his legacy.

Labour's approach to climate change

The UK Climate Projections 2009, released today, will help us plan and prepare for change to our climate in the UK.

By acting now, we can limit the severity of climate change in the future.

Labour’s approach to tackling climate change centres on protecting the public from immediate risk, preparing for the future, leading international efforts to get a global deal in Copenhagen in December, creating a low carbon UK and supporting individuals, communities and businesses to play their part.

Labour's Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, said:

"There is no doubt about it – climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world today. Climate change is already happening – the hottest ten years on record globally have all been since 1990. This landmark scientific evidence shows not only that we need to tackle the causes of climate change but also that we must deal with the consequences.

"The Projections will allow us to make sure we have a resilient infrastructure to cope – whether it’s the design of school buildings or protection of new power plants, maintaining the supply of drinking water, adjusting ways of farming for drier summers or understanding how our homes and businesses will have to adapt."

Miliband coal consultation - Greenpeace response

Commenting on the launch today of a new government consultation on the future of coal in Britain, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:

"The fact that there is even a consultation on coal is welcome, given that this time last year policy was being decided by myopic ministers in thrall to regressive civil servants, but Ed Miliband needs to go further. His proposed policy leaves us with the threat of a massive new coal plant at Kingsnorth that would only capture and bury a quarter of its emissions and pump out six million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, making it the dirtiest new power station built in Britain for decades."

He continued:

"Britain could and should be a global leader on climate change and Ed Miliband has the power to make that happen, but first he has to rule out emissions from new coal-fired power stations, like Kingsnorth, and set a deadline for closing the existing coal plants like Drax."

He added:

"If Ed Miliband rules out emissions from new coal plants he'll be able to go to the vital Copenhagen climate conference with the credibility to demand a strong global deal to succeed Kyoto."

CLEAN COAL TO SUPPORT UP TO 60,000 UK JOBS

Consultation details conditions for new UK coal power stations

Clean coal technology could bring between £2-4 billion a year into the UK economy by 2030, and support between 30,000-60,000 in jobs such as engineering, manufacturing and procurement, according to new independent research published today.

The report, ‘Future Value Of Coal Carbon Abatement Technologies To UK Industry’ by AEA Group, is published today alongside the Government’s consultation document ‘A framework for the development of clean coal’.

As outlined by Ed Miliband to Parliament on 23 April, the consultation details how the Government proposes to reconcile the need to curb emissions of carbon from future coal fired power stations with the need to maintain a secure diverse energy mix. It proposes:

• Requiring CCS demonstration: New coal fired power stations should only be given consent in the UK if they demonstrate CCS on at least 300MW net (around 400MW gross) of capacity from day one. Each demonstration project would have to store 20 million tonnes of CO2 over 10-15 years. The proposed framework recognises that CCS demonstration will only proceed with Government intervention. A financial incentive funded by electricity suppliers will support up to four commercial-scale CCS demonstrations in the UK. Alongside the Government’s ongoing competition to build a post-combustion demonstration, up to three further projects including pre-combustion technology could be supported. The primary legislation required to implement this mechanism will be sought at the earliest possible opportunity.
• Requiring CCS retrofit: All new coal fired power stations should be required to retrofit CCS to their full capacity within five years of CCS being proven. We are planning on the basis that this point will be reached by 2020, and an independent review, potentially led by the Environment Agency, would report in that year on the status of the technology. The consultation document also explores whether this requirement should apply to existing coal fired power stations.
• Contingency: In the event that CCS takes longer than expected to be judged proven, further measures may be needed to ensure emissions from coal are substantially reduced. These measures could include an annual cap on individual power stations’ emissions, a limit on running hours or an emissions performance standard that would limit the amount of CO2 that could be emitted per unit of electricity generated.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“The conditions we’re proposing for new coal are the most environmentally ambitious of any country in the world, requiring the demonstration of CCS on a substantial proportion of any new power station and the 100% retrofit of CCS when it’s proven.

“At the same time, by providing funding for demonstrations, we can maintain coal as part of our energy mix, supporting diversity and therefore security of supply.

“By acting early, jobs will also be created as Britain develops the expertise in what could be a major new industry, with CCS projects offering the potential to form the hubs for clusters of low carbon industries.

“By driving the development of CCS in this country, we are also, as a country, playing an essential role in the battle against climate change.”

(DECC) UK Smart Meter roll out moves forward

* Hi tech meters will change our energy habits
* No more estimated bills or staying in for meter readings
* Easier switching between energy suppliers
* Suppliers will be able to offer cheaper off-peak energy

All homes in Britain will have smart meters installed by 2020 under plans published today. Great Britain will be the first country in the world to have an overhaul of this size for both electricity and gas meters.

Smart meters enable meter readings to be taken remotely and together with a display device give householders real time information on their energy use.

The new information smart meters provide will help consumers to see what energy they are using and how to save money on their bills.

Smart meters will mean the end of estimated bills, no more having to stay in for home readings, quicker and smoother switching between suppliers and cheaper, easier prepayment.

The Government has today set out the different options for rolling out the revolutionary kit across Great Britain and on what the smart meters should be capable of doing.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

"This is another part of our Great British refurb. The meters most of us have in our homes were designed for a different age, before climate change. Now we need to get smarter with our energy.

"Smart meters will empower all consumers to monitor their own energy use and make reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions as a result. Smart meters will also mean the end of inaccurate bills and estimated meter readings.

"This is a big project affecting 26 million homes, and several million businesses, so it's important we design a system that brings best value to everyone involved."

Case study

Karen Gibson, a 33 year old Nursery Manager from Northumberland, is an npower customer who had a 'smart pre-payment meter' fitted in October 2007.

She said:

"This new smart meter has made life so much easier. I believe everyone should have one and the sooner the better.

"I reckon I have saved around £250 since I had it fitted a couple of years ago because I am not wasting as much energy as before. I know at any given moment how much energy I am using in pounds and pence and I pay for exactly what I use.

"An added bonus is that I don't need to pop out constantly to top up my key. And if the shop is shut I don't need to worry as I prefer to use the internet to top up my meter. If I have a problem with my computer I can simply use my mobile phone. All the fuss has now been taken away with having a pre-payment meter."

Smart meters signify the start of a change in our energy habits. They are a key step towards future smart grids which have the potential to help our shift to a low-carbon economy - making it easier for renewable generation to feed into the grid, including micro and community level generation and will support the decarbonisation of heat and transport through the greater use of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Suppliers will be able to offer more tariffs and services, such as 'time-of-use' tariffs, encouraging more efficient and economical energy use.

The preferred roll-out option is the central communications model - where energy suppliers are responsible for the installation and maintenance of the smart meter but the communication to and from the device is coordinated by a third party across the whole of Great Britain.

The other principal models considered are:

* Competitive model - where energy suppliers manage all aspects of smart metering, including installation and communication.

* Fully centralised - where regional franchises are set up to manage the installation and operation of smart meters with the communications to and from the meters managed centrally and on a national level.