Following the publication of the Committee on Climate Change’s report, Power Sector Scenarios for the fifth carbon budget, the Aldersgate Group urges the Government to rapidly extend or replace existing low carbon support policies, the vast majority of which are expiring during the course of this Parliament.
The Aldersgate Group, whose corporate members span a wide range of economic sectors and have a global collective turnover in excess of £300bn, urged the Government today to provide greater policy clarity to support continued investment in the UK’s future low carbon power and energy efficient infrastructure, accelerate cost reductions and deliver supply chain benefits.
Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group said: “UK low carbon policy has helped deliver many successes in recent years from the falling cost of onshore wind, solar PV and offshore wind to supporting the rapid growth of the UK’s low carbon economy which delivered a turnover of £122bn in 2013 and employs 460,000 people. But the low carbon sector is now at a crossroads, with urgent clarity needed in particular on the funds available to support investment in low carbon power stations in the 2020s and on the support mechanisms that will help improve the efficiency of the UK’s building stock.”
The Aldersgate Group added that the need for long-term policy signals extended beyond the power sector and affected other key infrastructure areas such as low carbon heat and low emission vehicles, where support policies are all due to expire within the term of this Parliament.
Nick Molho added: “In setting out future policies to support investment in low carbon infrastructure, cut its cost and deliver supply chain benefits, the government should also provide continued support to those energy intensive industries at risk of competitiveness impacts to ensure they can play a role in the UK’s future low carbon supply chain.”