Energy Policy

Voters are more concerned about the environment ahead of this election than at any time in the past, according to a poll, ranking it above the economy, education and immigration. The findings will put pressure on political parties to toughen their policies on pollution and climate change as the issue ranks only behind Brexit, health and crime on the public’s list of priorities, according to the Ipsos Mori survey. The environment is listed as being more important than at any time since 1990. Pollsters said the consistency with which it is mentioned by voters means it now matters more than ever before. When asked to list what they think are the biggest issues facing Britain, more than one in five voters (21 per cent) mention the environment and pollution unprompted – up from just 2 per cent in 2012. The figure rises to 29 per cent among 18- to 24-year-olds, although more than one in four of 45- to 54-year-olds also raise it as an issue.

Independent 18th Nov 2019 read more »

Prof. Catherine Mitchell: Presentation to: Reforming energy governance for net zero, 29th Oct 2019, London. Definitions; Energy governance is outdated; Current institutions & responsibilities; Reforming energy governance; A new governance framework; Conclusions.

IGov 18th Nov 2019 read more »

Britain’s first electric-powered passenger plane will be launched in just over two years under plans to cut aircraft emissions. It will be announced today that a hybrid-electric aircraft will be created by fitting an existing nine-seater plane with the latest battery technology. The project, which is funded through a £9 million government and industry grant, will allow the converted Britten-Norman Islander to operate under 100 percent electric power for short flights. The light aircraft’s conventional engine will then kick in as a “range extender” to operate longer routes. The aircraft is likely to be tested initially by Loganair, the regional airline that operates services across the Scottish islands, including the world’s shortest scheduled flight: the 1.7-mile hop between Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney. The Project Fresson programme is expected to take two and a half years, with a fully developed prototype taking to the skies by mid-2022. It would be the first fully electric passenger-carrying plane in the UK and one of only a small number being developed across the world.

Times 19th Nov 2019 read more »

Labour appeared to back away last night from a plan for Britain to produce net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The target was one of several radical policies passed by Labour’s annual conference in September. It was approved against the opposition of the GMB. The union, which represents workers in the energy sector and is one of Labour’s most important union backers, said that the rapid timeframe could put jobs in jeopardy. Yesterday Jeremy Corbyn’s Instagram page posted an image of the slogan “carbon neutral by 2030 – only with Labour”. The policy would be 20 years ahead of the target set during Theresa May’s time as prime minister. After The Times asked Labour whether this meant that a firm 2030 commitment had been written into the election manifesto, the post was quickly deleted. Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow business secretary, talked about getting Britain “on track for a zero-carbon energy system during the 2030s” when announcing plans for Labour’s “green new deal” last month. The confusion came the day after Labour’s manifesto was finalised at a “Clause V” summit. Mr Corbyn, members of the shadow cabinet, members of Labour’s ruling body and trade union officials spent six hours on Saturday debating the document’s contents. It is due to be published, after “unanimous agreement”, on Thursday.

Times 18th Nov 2019 read more »

The Conservative party’s record on tackling the climate crisis was condemned by leading scientists and former government advisers on Sunday, as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that the forthcoming election was the last chance to halt the escalating emergency. Experts accused the Conservatives of copying rightwing politicians in the US by deliberately weakening environmental protections. Meanwhile, new analysis by Labour reveals that environmental policies put forward since 2017 and opposed by the Tories would have led to emissions reductions of over 70m tonnes a year by 2030 – more than the annual emissions of Portugal. The climate emergency has become a key battleground in the election, with Labour promising a transformative green industrial revolution, the Liberal Democrats pledging to spend billions on the crisis, and the Conservatives announcing a pre-election moratorium on fracking and pledging to plant 30m trees a year by 2025. On Sunday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Conservatives could not be trusted on the environment. “This general election is our last chance to radically change course, or face the threat of a hostile and dying planet,” he said. “The science is clear – we don’t have time to waste.” He said Labour’s green industrial revolution would create hundreds of thousands of “good, clean jobs that will transform towns, cities and communities that have been held back and neglected for decades”.

Guardian 17th Nov 2019 read more »

Just after calling the general election, Boris Johnson’s government made two almost simultaneous policy announcements that encapsulated the longstanding contradictions of environmental policy over the past decade. His decision to announce a moratorium on fracking – which, as the Labour party pointed out, was a temporary commitment rather than a ban – made headlines and was heralded as a signal of green intentions, but the go-ahead for a new deep coalmine in Cumbria was slipped out to little fanfare. The conflicting signals were in keeping with a decade of environmental policy under the Conservative-led coalition and two Tory governments, during which U-turns and flip-flops have cheered and infuriated campaigners and green businesses alike. A 25-year environment plan and a target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 have been highlights since the last general election, but the policies needed to implement them remain mired in confusion. “[There has been] a disjunction between the government’s willingness to say the right things, and even to put them into legally binding targets, and their unwillingness to make the tough choices we need to achieve them,” said Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK. “The 2050 net zero target, while not as soon as we would like, is a real achievement. [But] it is still accompanied by road-building, new licences for oil drilling, a third runway at Heathrow and stubborn opposition to onshore wind and solar.” Nick Molho, executive director of the Aldersgate Group of green businesses, said: “The story of the last 10 years is also that of a missed opportunity to cut emissions in key areas such as buildings and transport. We have seen incredibly slow progress.” Planning rules for onshore windfarms were changed and subsidies drastically scaled back from 2018, since when scarcely any new onshore windfarms have been built. Meanwhile, solar installations – vaunted under the coalition – have plummeted after incentives for households were taken away. A nine-year freeze on fuel duty, at a cost of £9bn a year to the Treasury, has buoyed fossil fuels and contributed to a 3% rise in transport emissions in the last five years.

Guardian 17th Nov 2019 read more »

How do the parties propose to tackle the climate crisis? Election contenders have been setting out plans to win over voters concerned about the environment.

Guardian 17th Nov 2019 read more »

Although electricity is leading the shift to a low-carbon economy — 50 per cent of the new power generation capacity starting up this year will be supplied by wind and solar — the sector is likely to remain overwhelmingly reliant on coal for decades to come. This is particularly true in China, India and other emerging economies. But the transition to a new energy mix is only part of the story. A more immediate transformation is taking place in the electricity market, and that is in production and distribution. The IEA paper demolishes some popular myths. First, electricity is not about to become the dominant source of energy supply. Last year, it supplied just 19 per cent of final energy demand — coal, oil and natural gas all supplied more. On the IEA’s main projection, based on current policies and plans, by 2040 that contribution will only rise to 23 per cent.

FT 17th Nov 2019 read more »

The Environment Agency’s water quality monitoring programme has come under fire as data obtained by Unearthed shows the number of samples and sampling points has fallen by nearly 50% since 2013. The steep decline has raised serious concerns over the state of England’s environmental regulation as it prepares for a dramatic change in the legal and regulatory regime after Brexit, with green groups calling for ring-fenced funding for “essential monitoring work.”

Unearthed 17th Nov 2019 read more »

Telegraph 16th Nov 2019 read more »

Tesla will up the ante in the battle for supremacy in the electric vehicle market this week when it unveils its pick-up truck. The company, whose shares have doubled to $352 after swinging to a June low amid production and sales issues, surprised with a profit of $143m (£110.8m) for the three months to September, and will this week unveil what boss Elon Musk, 48, has called a cybertruck.

Times 17th Nov 2019 read more »

Rebecca Willis: What does a watertight national climate strategy look like? Living in Cumbria, I’ve seen this first hand. Local politicians say they want to be climate leaders. There have been some eye-catching renewables projects and efforts to reduce traffic on the busy Lake District roads. But the county is also proud of the new passenger airport at Carlisle, and now there are plans for a coal mine on the West Coast, which, if built, will result in nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of a million UK households. Ten tests for climate strategy. Here is my checklist of ten questions, which can be used to assess any national climate strategy, irrespective of the social, economic or political circumstances of that country, and irrespective of political inclinations. It is produced with thanks to the many people who have read and contributed to it. 1. Is there a clearly stated long term target, compatible with climate science and international responsibilities, written into law? 2. Is there vocal political leadership on climate change, confident narratives and a healthy debate about strategy? 3. Are citizens engaged, both through democratic means (voting, deliberative processes like citizens’ assemblies, wider engagement and consultation) and through the policies themselves? 4. Is there a plan to achieve this target over a clear timeframe (including the near term), distributed across different parts of government, including all ministries and government organisations, including local or state level government? 5. Is there independent measurement, verification and scrutiny? 6. Does the strategy cover all the crucial sectors, ie transport (including aviation and shipping); power generation; housing and buildings; consumption; industry; finance; land use and agriculture; climate impacts and resilience? 7. Is there a transparent and measurable process for the phase-out of fossil fuel exploration, extraction and use? 8. Are the distributional consequences of the plan being addressed – in terms of protection for individuals; different social groups; job opportunities; and local areas? 9. Do financial flows – government funds, the regulations governing private capital and trade, and development aid – support the climate strategy and provide the required investment? 10. Is there a clear strategy for negative emissions, with separate targets and policy for greenhouse gas removal technologies? This list is still a work in progress, so I would welcome further comments.

Green Alliance Blog 14th Nov 2019 read more »