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| You’re failing on green energy, Tory ex-minister warns Cameron | You’re failing on green energy, Tory ex-minister warns Cameron |
| (2 days later) | |
| David Cameron’s chief climate change adviser has warned that the government is “clearly failing” in key policy areas and needs to regain the confidence of investors in green technology, in the runup to next month’s crucial global summit in Paris. | David Cameron’s chief climate change adviser has warned that the government is “clearly failing” in key policy areas and needs to regain the confidence of investors in green technology, in the runup to next month’s crucial global summit in Paris. |
| Lord Deben, who as John Gummer was environment secretary from 1993 to 1997 and is now chairman of the UK’s independent committee on climate change, told the Observer of his concerns, particularly regarding the continued waste of energy from draughty homes and the failure to exploit the potential of renewable heat technology. | |
| His comments follow criticism from international figures, including the UN’s chief scientist, about Britain’s lack of leadership on renewable energy before the crucial Paris talks in December, where demanding targets on reducing carbon emissions are due to be set. | |
| Related: The nine green policies killed off by the Tory government | |
| EU figures published last week showed that only Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands used less renewable energy than the UK as a proportion of total consumption. Just 5.1% of energy used in the UK is renewable, according to figures produced by the EU statistical office. | EU figures published last week showed that only Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands used less renewable energy than the UK as a proportion of total consumption. Just 5.1% of energy used in the UK is renewable, according to figures produced by the EU statistical office. |
| The government has a target of 15% of energy consumption from renewables by 2020, but its record so far leaves it to make the largest improvement of all 28 member states. | |
| Responding to the figures, Deben said that, while the government had had some reasonable success in the production of renewable power, in particular from offshore wind turbines, the statistics laid bare the striking failings in government policy. | Responding to the figures, Deben said that, while the government had had some reasonable success in the production of renewable power, in particular from offshore wind turbines, the statistics laid bare the striking failings in government policy. |
| In July ministers abolished the failed green deal, which subsidised the insulation of homes, in favour of an as yet unspecified “new value-for-money approach”. It also announced that the zero-carbon standard for new homes would not go ahead, replaced only by a commitment to “keep energy efficiency standards under review”. | In July ministers abolished the failed green deal, which subsidised the insulation of homes, in favour of an as yet unspecified “new value-for-money approach”. It also announced that the zero-carbon standard for new homes would not go ahead, replaced only by a commitment to “keep energy efficiency standards under review”. |
| Deben said that where policies failed it was right to abandon them, but that alternative plans needed to emerge urgently if progress was to be made on the government’s publicly stated aspirations. | |
| “In terms of heat, clearly we are failing,” he said. “It is much the most difficult thing. This is the area we have to get right. We need a mixture of renewable heat initiatives and energy efficiency. You have to get these two together. This is the area we have so far failed in. There is an awful lot of heat going to waste. | “In terms of heat, clearly we are failing,” he said. “It is much the most difficult thing. This is the area we have to get right. We need a mixture of renewable heat initiatives and energy efficiency. You have to get these two together. This is the area we have so far failed in. There is an awful lot of heat going to waste. |
| “The government admits that the things it has tried have not worked sufficiently. The climate change committee has brought it to their notice and the government is working on trying to produce a different way of achieving this end. There is nothing wrong with failing, but what we have to do is keep our absolute eye on the outcomes.” | “The government admits that the things it has tried have not worked sufficiently. The climate change committee has brought it to their notice and the government is working on trying to produce a different way of achieving this end. There is nothing wrong with failing, but what we have to do is keep our absolute eye on the outcomes.” |
| The former environment secretary said he was also concerned that a stream of recent cutbacks to subsidies for solar and onshore wind power generation had hit the confidence of those who might be willing to invest in green technology. | The former environment secretary said he was also concerned that a stream of recent cutbacks to subsidies for solar and onshore wind power generation had hit the confidence of those who might be willing to invest in green technology. |
| Solar subsidies have been reduced by 87% and tax relief for community clean energy projects removed, leading to the closure of a stream of businesses and potential projects which were unable to find a way to be economically viable. | Solar subsidies have been reduced by 87% and tax relief for community clean energy projects removed, leading to the closure of a stream of businesses and potential projects which were unable to find a way to be economically viable. |
| The onshore wind power industry has also voiced concerns that the government may be looking to sideline the sector. Mike Parker, head of onshore energy at RWE Innogy UK, said his company was holding back on updating eight turbine sites, which could otherwise produce enough energy to power 55,000 homes. | The onshore wind power industry has also voiced concerns that the government may be looking to sideline the sector. Mike Parker, head of onshore energy at RWE Innogy UK, said his company was holding back on updating eight turbine sites, which could otherwise produce enough energy to power 55,000 homes. |
| Deben said he recognised the need to ensure that the government’s £7.6bn budget for the renewables sector between 2015 and 2020 was not overshot. He added that success in the production of power from offshore wind, and the costs to the government that came with paying for the unexpectedly large energy supply from that sector, had made cuts in other areas understandable.However, the Conservative peer added that it was up to ministers to urgently deal with the growing feeling in the sector that the government had lost sight of the importance of having a diverse range of renewable energy sources. | Deben said he recognised the need to ensure that the government’s £7.6bn budget for the renewables sector between 2015 and 2020 was not overshot. He added that success in the production of power from offshore wind, and the costs to the government that came with paying for the unexpectedly large energy supply from that sector, had made cuts in other areas understandable.However, the Conservative peer added that it was up to ministers to urgently deal with the growing feeling in the sector that the government had lost sight of the importance of having a diverse range of renewable energy sources. |
| “The government hasn’t got it right because there is a lack of certainty and confidence,” he said. “It has a duty to keep spending to budget. But there is an urgency in them saying what they are now going to do.” | “The government hasn’t got it right because there is a lack of certainty and confidence,” he said. “It has a duty to keep spending to budget. But there is an urgency in them saying what they are now going to do.” |
| Responding to Deben’s comments, shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy called for the government to rethink its cuts. She said: “As a result of this government’s recent raft of decisions to roll back solar and wind programmes and to instead direct subsidies towards more expensive energy technologies, Britain’s global standing and ambitions to reach our climate change and renewable targets will be severely damaged.” | Responding to Deben’s comments, shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy called for the government to rethink its cuts. She said: “As a result of this government’s recent raft of decisions to roll back solar and wind programmes and to instead direct subsidies towards more expensive energy technologies, Britain’s global standing and ambitions to reach our climate change and renewable targets will be severely damaged.” |
| A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said: “These are out-of-date figures based on DECC’s estimate for 2013 made in 2014. We are making good progress towards the 2020 renewables target of 15% of final energy consumption from renewable sources, and have exceeded the latest interim target of 5.4%.” | A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said: “These are out-of-date figures based on DECC’s estimate for 2013 made in 2014. We are making good progress towards the 2020 renewables target of 15% of final energy consumption from renewable sources, and have exceeded the latest interim target of 5.4%.” |
| ENERGY SWITCHES | ENERGY SWITCHES |
| PRIVATISED Green Investment Bank | PRIVATISED Green Investment Bank |
| Ministers are currently seeking to sell off the bank and abolish the rules that would ensure all its investment was in green technologies. | Ministers are currently seeking to sell off the bank and abolish the rules that would ensure all its investment was in green technologies. |
| SCRAPPED Zero-carbon homes | SCRAPPED Zero-carbon homes |
| New dwellings from 2016 will not have to generate as much energy on site through renewable sources, such as wind or solar power, as they would use in heating, hot water, lighting and ventilation. | New dwellings from 2016 will not have to generate as much energy on site through renewable sources, such as wind or solar power, as they would use in heating, hot water, lighting and ventilation. |
| CUT Solar subsidies | CUT Solar subsidies |
| Subsidies have been cut by 87% and tax relief for community clean energy projects removed. | Subsidies have been cut by 87% and tax relief for community clean energy projects removed. |
| CUT Onshore windfarm subsidies | CUT Onshore windfarm subsidies |
| New windfarms will not receive subsidies after 2016. | New windfarms will not receive subsidies after 2016. |
| TAXED Renewables | TAXED Renewables |
| A £910m-a-year raid has been made on the renewable energy sector by changing a climate change levy. | A £910m-a-year raid has been made on the renewable energy sector by changing a climate change levy. |
| TAXED Low-emission cars | TAXED Low-emission cars |
| Tax exemptions for low-emission cars have been removed, with all the proceeds going back into road building and maintenance. | Tax exemptions for low-emission cars have been removed, with all the proceeds going back into road building and maintenance. |
| SUBSIDISED Diesel and coal | SUBSIDISED Diesel and coal |
| Cash is being thrown at fossil fuel industries amid an energy shortage. | Cash is being thrown at fossil fuel industries amid an energy shortage. |
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