Irrespective of Brexit, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her cabinet must commit to critical EU targets for the year 2020 on cutting carbon emissions and transforming the UK’s energy infrastructure.
This is the call made today (Friday) by 30 environmental and energy-related organisations¹ in a letter² to Greg Clark, the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Signatories leading business associations covering the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, two of the UK’s biggest green NGOs and Energy UK, the body representing the major energy suppliers.
Their letter argues that EU laws and regulations on energy and buildings have played a leading role in enabling the UK to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases and to provide global leadership on climate change.³
Three EU targets for the year 2020 have paved the way for future emission reductions. The signatories say the UK Government should now declare that it is sticking to these, as it prepares to commence exit negotiations from the union, to give badly-needed confidence to businesses and investors.
The three targets are:
15% of all energy used for electricity, transport and heating should come from renewable energy sources (under the Renewables Energy Directive)
UK final energy consumption should fall to 129.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent or less (the Energy Efficiency Directive
All new buildings must be nearly zero energy buildings by the end of 2020 (by the end of 2018 for public buildings) (The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive)
The letter says that a combination of EU and UK laws, regulations and policies have given businesses, investors and consumers the confidence to begin putting the UK on the path towards a low carbon future.
“Following the referendum, it is now critical that Government restores this already-eroded confidence by giving an assurance that, until the terms of leaving the EU are in place, all relevant EU directives and targets are still in place and the UK Government is legally obliged to continue to meet them.”
Dr Joanne Wade, CEO of the Association for the Conservation of Energy, says: “The Brexit vote has caused industry uncertainty. Government must move quickly to confirm it will continue on a clear path to meeting key energy targets.”
Sue Riddlestone, Chief Executive of sustainability charity Bioregional, says: “Cutting emissions is the pathway to secure, affordable energy for the UK in the long term as well as tackling climate change. We need a firm commitment to these long-agreed targets for 2020.”
Dr Nina Skorupska, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, said: “For the sake of jobs and investor confidence the Government cannot afford to row back on the EU 2020 renewables targets.”
Contacts:
Nicholas Schoon, Policy and Communications Manager, Bioregional, 07732 381728
Jenny Holland, Campaigns Director, Association for the Conservation of Energy, 0207 359 8000, 07875 629781, jenny@ukace.org
(1) SIGNATORIES
Ashden
Association for the Conservation of Energy
Bioregional
British Blind and Shutter Association
British Pump Manufacturers Association
British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturers Association
Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
E3G
Energy Saving Trust
Energy Systems Trade Association
Energy UK
Existing Homes Alliance Scotland
Friends of the Earth
Glass and Glazing Federation
Greenpeace
Insulated Render and Cladding Association
Lighting Industry Association
Mineral Wool Manufacturers Association
National Energy Foundation
National Insulation Association
Oil Firing Technical Association
Property and Energy Professionals Association
Regen SW
Renewable Energy Association
Solar Trade Association
Sustainable Energy Association
Thermal Insulation Consortium
Town & Country Planning Association
(2) TEXT OF LETTER
Dear Mr Clark,
We would like to warmly congratulate you on your appointment as the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and wish you well in this important new post.
We welcome the 29 June statement of Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, that the UK government would not step back from international leadership in acting on climate change.
We agree that both the UK and the EU have been world leaders in addressing the enormous challenge posed by climate change. UK leadership has stemmed from the combination of EU and UK laws, regulations and policies. Together these have given businesses, investors and consumers the confidence to begin putting the UK economy and infrastructure on the path towards a low carbon future.
Following the referendum, it is now critical that Government restores this already-eroded confidence by giving an assurance that, until the terms of leaving the EU are in place, all relevant EU directives and targets are still in place and the UK Government is legally obliged to continue to meet them.
In particular, we call upon the Government to commit to hitting 2020 targets under the Renewable Energy Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive:
· 15% of all energy used for electricity, transport and heating should come from renewable energy sources
· UK final energy consumption should fall to 129.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent or less
· All new buildings must be nearly zero energy buildings by the end of 2020 (by the end of 2018 for public buildings)
These targets make a key contribution towards implementing the UK’s world-leading Climate Change Act 2008 – pioneering legislation which requires ever-lower UK emissions in successive five-year carbon budgets. The policies and regulations required to meet these budgets have all been set in the context of EU law and policies on energy and climate.
Yours sincerely,
(3) Between 1990 and 2014, the latest year for which final figures are available, UK territorial emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 35%. Between 2000 and 2014 they fell by 28%.