In November 2009 the previous Government published six draft energy NPSs and associated documents for public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny. In the House of Commons, the previous Energy and Climate Change (ECC) Select Committee scrutinised the draft energy NPSs and published a report (HC 231-I, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780215545237) of itsfindings. This included a recommendation that the draft NPSs should be subject to a debate in the main chamber of the House of Commons. This debate took place on 1st December 2010 on the basis of revised draft NPSs and a number of issues were raised there. This is the Government response to the 18 recommendations made by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee to the revised NPSs.
Raising awareness and encouraging citizen involvement at a domestic level is fundamental to tackling climate change. This work examines: information and the raising of awareness about climate change; household energy efficiency; microgeneration; economic instruments and personal carbon allowances; and the role of the government.
This report with evidence follows on from two earlier and more substantial reports on the question of energy (HLP 126, ISBN 0104005068), and (HLP 21, ISBN 0104007230), along with the Government responses to these two reports (HLP 69, ISBN 0104008032). The Committee invited Malcolm Wicks MP, the Energy Minister, to discuss the Government's progress in addressing recommendations contained in HLP 126 and HLP 21, along with the wider energy policy issues such as nuclear waste and safety; climate change; carbon capture, renewable power; energy pricing and microgeneration
The Committee's report finds that, over the past decade, the Government has failed to rise fully to the domestic challenge of climate change, and its likely failure to reach its domestic target on reducing carbon dioxide emissions will have a damaging impact on the UK's international leadership role in reaching a post-Kyoto agreement. Although the Government has introduced some new arrangements for co-ordinating climate change policy more effectively across Whitehall, the scale of the challenge and the complexity involved in radically restructuring the economy to bring about the needed emission reduction targets requires further changes. There is a need for a strategic review of Government action to ensure that the leadership and responsibility for the development and delivery of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies is clear, as well as a new long-term policy framework to ensure that policies introduced today do not undermine our ability to reduce emissions in the future. The Committee also recommends that a new and authoritative body be established within the Cabinet Office to drive forward policy and to diminish the potential for a conflict of objectives between departments.
from the climate change programme review to the draft Climate Change Bill, seventh report of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
from the climate change programme review to the draft Climate Change Bill, seventh report of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
This report is about how the Government: sets targets for reductions in UK green house gases; assess progress towards these targets by forecasting the likely levels of future emissions; choose policy instruments to deliver the requisite cuts in emissions; and revises its package of policies in the light of experience. It is two main parts, the first looks at the Climate Change Programme Review, whilst the second examines the proposed Climate Change Bill. The Climate Change Programme Review revealed a number of weaknesses in the UK climate change policy as it became apparent that the target of a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2010 would be missed. Revisions to the projection of emissions had not been done frequently enough, so by the time Ministers knew there were problems it was too late to introduce new measures. The programme is however likely to be rescued, somewhat, by Phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which promises to deliver some real savings. The draft Climate Change Bill, alongside other developments such as the creation of the Office of Climate Change and requirements of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, are broadly well designed and a far-reaching responses to these issues.
Meeting the UK's climate change commitments will be challenging if we do not apply carbon capture and storage (CCS) to new gas-fired power stations and to our energy intensive industries. Building the transport and storage infrastructure needed for CCS requires large upfront investments, but costs of later projects are expected to fall rapidly once this primary infrastructure is in place. Without CCS it may be necessary to find large and potentially more expensive carbon savings to meet the legally binding targets set out in the Climate Change Act as well as the more recent challenging ambitions set out at the Paris climate summit. The UK Government first promised support for CCS in 2007, and in 2012 launched a commercialisation 'competition', with the aim to see CCS projects developed before 2020. Up to £1 billion pounds was to be made available in capital funding, with additional operational support available through guaranteed price contracts - known as Contracts for Difference (CfDs) - to support the initial stages of commercialisation
The Government has missed a big opportunity to kick start a green-industrial revolution with its £3bn fiscal stimulus. Germany, the US, Japan and China have invested billions in their low-carbon industries. But only one sixth of the UK's Government's fiscal stimulus package was devoted to green industry. Many of the policies needed to cut carbon emissions will provide good opportunities to increase employment and could give the UK a competitive advantage in the coming decades. The UK has the potential to take a leading global role in a number of low carbon sectors. Creating a strong home market in off-shore wind could ensure UK companies are well placed to exploit export opportunities to other EU countries - or promising markets such as the US and China. Increasing the speed and scale of the programme to insulate UK homes could also sustain employment and kick start a market estimated to be worth between £3.5 - 6.5 billion a year. Business needs confidence that financial incentives and regulation designed to promote low carbon industries will be maintained. Although it is recognised that the UK government has made significant investment for delivery of its Low Carbon Industrial Strategy and its Low Carbon Transition Plan it is not sufficient to meet emissions targets or to provide the economic advantage needed. It is felt that the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy does not effectively address a transition across the whole economy. The Committee on Climate Change has identified key sectors in which energy savings must be made and the Government's strategy on green jobs must be directly linked to these sectoral targets and green industries developed to achieve these. The Committee also feels that, in particular, a 'quick win' street-by-street programme of energy saving measures for households that will boost employment and keep UK building firms in business should be developed as a priority. The market-based, demand-led approach to skills has not worked because employers are unable to effectively articulate their needs. The Government's new skills strategy must prioritise the skills needed to drive the economy through the low-carbon transition. A body to lead the green skills agenda must be found and low-carbon skills need to be integrated through the whole skills delivery system to encourage behavioural change across the entire economy
The UK contains more than 26 million homes which, collectively, emitted 41.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2004, representing more than a quarter of the UK's emission of the main greenhouse gas driving climate change. The Government plans that the three million more households to be added to the housing stock over the next 12 years will be as carbon-neutral as modern building methods, technologies and regulation can make them. But the Government must pay as much attention to reducing the carbon footprint of the existing housing stock, given the UK's challenging target of reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. Domestic energy efficiency measures taken since 1970 have halved what UK domestic energy demand would otherwise be, but the amount of energy used now needs to decline sharply if the target is to be achieved. Chapters examine: regulation and encouragement; financial incentives; energy performance certificates; breaching the barriers to change; newer technologies; older buildings. There are many existing means to achieve rapid reductions in carbon emissions. such as cavity-wall insulation, loft insulation, double-glazing, condensing boilers, more efficient lighting. One problem is that of engaging with a greater proportion of the population and convincing them of the need for action. The proposed Green Homes Service due in late 2008 should provide a one-stop source of information for householders to overcome this "information barrier" to quick, simple and cost-effective action in many homes. The Committee believes that substantial and rapid change is possible if millions of individuals and families can be encouraged to rise to the challenge.
This report finds that the Government is only on track to meet its first carbon budget because of the impact of the recession. There is now a worrying shortfall in delivery; UK emissions are currently falling by only about 1 per cent per year, instead of the 2-3 per cent per year which is needed. The management of the carbon budget is as vital as that of the fiscal budget and requires the same level of political attention, civil service commitment, and parliamentary scrutiny. Although the scientific case for more stringent targets is growing, the Government should focus on making more rapid progress against its existing budgets. The Government must first deliver the carbon savings promised in its Low Carbon Transition Plan, then urgently bring forward new measures to increase the rate at which emissions are falling to 2-3 per cent per year and then move to tighten carbon budgets and increase the 2020 target for reducing emissions to a cut of 42 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020. The Committee is also calling on the Government to: work in international climate negotiations on getting emissions to peak as soon as possible; secure competitive advantages for the UK in emerging markets for low-carbon technologies by being prepared to move unilaterally; monitor the latest science and start planning the options available for reducing emissions further and faster in case the scale of the crisis demands bigger cuts; put the right regulatory framework in place to ensure that we do not wrongly invest in high-carbon infrastructure.
This report examines the draft Climate Change Bill, which published in March 2007 as Command paper Cm 7040 (ISBN 9780101704021). Target setting alone cannot deliver policy objectives, but enshrining one in law will strengthen the Government's resolve to achieve it, ensure greater public accountability, and give confidence to the business community whose investment decisions are central to meeting the target. The Committee recommends a number of changes to the bill. Inconsistency in language, with "UK carbon account" and "UK carbon dioxide emissions" seemingly used interchangeably, should be addressed. There should not be an upper limit on the 2020 target (26-32 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emission), and the Bill should make provision for both the 2020 and 2050 targets to be revised, though only in an upwards direction. The provision to amend a budget more than a year after the end of a budgetary period is seen as making a nonsense of the concept of budgetary periods, and should be removed completely. The proposed Committee on Climate Change, rightly composed of experts, should not appear to give more representation to economic interests over environmental ones. The resources proposed for the Committee may prove inadequate. The Committee recommends that the impact of climate change on biodiversity should be added to the Bill.
The Committee reported on the UK climate change strategy: its desirability; its role in the long-term reduction of emissions; the Government's timetable for implementation of the strategy; the economic impact of the strategy, and the mechanisms used to achieve and monitor the reduction emissions.
Government Response to the Ninth Report of Session 2010-12 of the Energy and Climate Change Committee and Tenth Report of Session 2010-12 of the Environmental Audit Committee, Eleventh Special Report of Session 2010-12 from the Energy and Climate Change Committee; Eighth Special Report of Session 2010-12 from the Environmental Audit Committee
Government Response to the Ninth Report of Session 2010-12 of the Energy and Climate Change Committee and Tenth Report of Session 2010-12 of the Environmental Audit Committee, Eleventh Special Report of Session 2010-12 from the Energy and Climate Change Committee; Eighth Special Report of Session 2010-12 from the Environmental Audit Committee
The Levy Control Framework (LCF) limit is due to increase significantly from £3.184 billion in 2013-14 to £7.6 billion by 2020-21. The funds raised and spent via the LCF will soon surpass DECC's departmental budget. There must be transparent arrangements which ensure that Parliament has adequate oversight of how these funds are raised and spent, particularly in the light of public concern over the cost of energy bills. This report has been produced ahead of Parliament's consideration of the Supplementary Estimates 2013-14 in order to draw to the House's attention the annual derogation obtained by DECC from HM Treasury to remove LCF-related expenditure and revenues from its Supplementary Estimates. The current situation has led to an absence of LCF-related reporting in the Department's end year Accounts. The Committee would like to debate in the House: the implications of DECC's levy-funded schemes along with other government initiatives which affect energy bills but which fall outside of the LCF; and the current inadequate reporting arrangements relating to LCF spending and revenues; and the developing plans for improving these arrangements and enhancing Parliamentary oversight in the future
Government provides support to households who install small-scale renewable energy systems through Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), while large scale projects like off-shore wind farms will soon be supported through new fixed-price Contracts for Difference (CfDs). Medium sized energy projects of between 10 - 50 Megawatts (MW) currently fall in the gap and do not receive support. Giving communities a stake in local energy projects has the potential to broaden public understanding of energy issues and could also enhance the security and efficiency of the energy system as a whole. This report identifies a number of barriers that can prevent local energy projects getting off the ground. Securing funding and Power Purchase Agreements, connecting to the grid and overcoming public opposition can all prove difficult. Obtaining planning permission can be costly and time-consuming, and the risk of losing tens of thousands of pounds if permission is not granted is a huge obstacle for community groups or small cooperatives. Some form of support mechanism is needed alongside a comprehensive package of measures addressing finance, planning, grid access and advice. The Green Investment Bank could provide seed funding and project development funding for feasibility studies, grid permits, etc to reduce some of the risk in getting projects through the planning process. Government needs to do more to encourage local authorities to identify suitable areas for renewable energy development and to develop clear guidance about what is expected from local energy projects. National level planning guidance should be provided on technical issues that hold up planning consent for wind turbines and other low-carbon technologies
This report examines the impact shale gas drilling in the UK could have on water supplies, energy security and greenhouse gas emissions. The inquiry found no evidence that the hydraulic fracturing process involved in shale gas extraction - known as 'fracking' - poses a direct risk to underground water aquifers provided the drilling well is constructed properly. The MPs, nevertheless, urge the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to monitor drilling activity extremely closely in its early stages in order to assess its impact on air and water quality. Shale gas extraction could reduce the UK's dependence on imported gas, but it is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on domestic gas prices. The UK's onshore and, particularly, offshore shale gas resources could be substantial and the development of the offshore shale gas industry in the UK should be encouraged. Greenhouse gas emissions from gas are lower than from coal, but are still much higher than many low-carbon technologies. The presence of methane in shale gas, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide, has raised concerns. However, methane would only be released through leaks from the well or pipelines and the MPs are confident that this can be easily minimised through regulation and enforcement. Shale gas could reduce carbon dioxide emissions globally by encouraging a switch from coal to gas for electricity generation, but it will not be sufficient to meet long term emissions reductions targets and avoid the worst effects of global climate disruption.
The Energy and Climate Change Committee believes the UK could become a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the Government adopts a more visionary approach to developing marine renewables. Technologies that can harness the power of the sea to generate electricity are still in their infancy. But with the largest wave and tidal resources in Europe, up to 20% of the UK's electricity could eventually come from this reliable and predictable low-carbon source. Developing a thriving wave and tidal industry could also bring economic benefits to the UK. Companies based here could export equipment and components for marine devices to other markets, and also provide specialist skills and expertise, such as offshore surveying. The UK is currently the world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies. Of the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide, seven are in the UK. But an overly cautious approach to developing this sector may allow other less risk-averse countries to steal the UK's lead, as happened with wind turbines. The report identifies a number of crucial areas for development of the marine renewables industry: investor confidence, policy certainty, public-private risk sharing, improved grid connections and a workforce with the necessary engineering skills are all. The UK needs a strong political vision to boost confidence and drive the pace of development in order to reap the rewards of a successful wave and tidal power industry.
Additional written evidence is contained in Volume 3, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/ecc. For Volume 1: Report, see (ISBN 9780215052193)
documents considered by the Committee on 15 December 2009, including the following recommendations for debate : European Development Fund (EDF) expenditure; financial management; European Defence Agency activity in 2009 and 2010 : report, together with formal minutes
documents considered by the Committee on 15 December 2009, including the following recommendations for debate : European Development Fund (EDF) expenditure; financial management; European Defence Agency activity in 2009 and 2010 : report, together with formal minutes
Fourth report of Session 2009-10 : Documents considered by the Committee on 15 December 2009, including the following recommendations for debate, European Development Fund (EDF) expenditure; financial management; European Defence Agency activity in 2009 a
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