CLA welcomes the Energy 2020 Manifesto

The CLA has welcomed the Energy 2020 Manifesto.

The Country Land & Business Association is one of 20 signatories to the Manifesto which has won support from organisations as diverse as the Green Alliance, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, and the National Farmers' Union (NFU).

 

The Manifesto starts by declaring: "We support the transition to a sustainable energy economy, welcome progress made since the first joint statement of interested bodies in 2006, and call for greatly accelerated action."

 

The document spells out a vision for greener and effective systems for conserving, generating and using energy. The full Energy 2020 Manifesto and its signatories are in the editors' notes below.

 

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "The CLA fully supports the Energy 2020 Manifesto. We have worked hard with partners to ensure our members' interests are represented and we particularly welcome the promotion of renewable heat and anaerobic digestion.

 

"Government faces a huge challenge to provide the right framework for addressing the energy challenges of the 21^st Century. The rural economy can deliver - but only with the right incentives and support. It is for this reason that the CLA is also working directly with the House of Lords to promote amendments to the draft Energy Bill which is currently under scrutiny."

 

The CLA President added: "We have drafted and would like support for a Feed-in Tariff, like the one that has proved highly effective in Germany, to stand alongside the Renewable Obligation.

 

"The CLA would also like a change in the energy regulator Ofgem to ensure easier and cheaper connections to the grid for renewable energy suppliers - and for changes to allow renewable biogas to be used in the national gas grid."

 

 

 MEDIA CONTACTS:

 

Oliver Wilson, Communications Director, 020 7460 7936 or 07702 928828, ollie.wilson@cla.org.uk,

 

 NOTES TO EDITORS:

 

Energy 2020 Manifesto

 

We support the transition to a sustainable energy economy, welcome progress made since the first joint statement of interested bodies in 2006, and call for greatly accelerated action.

 

Policy priorities

 

We believe that the UK's energy policy should:

 

_ Uphold the vision and objectives for sustainability, security, prosperity and fairness

set out in the 2003 and 2007 Energy White Papers, recognising that a fair and just

transition to a low carbon economy demands action on a range of environmental and

social factors, and that adaptation to unavoidable climate change will be necessary.

 

_ Minimise the gap between energy demand and sustainable supply. In keeping

with the 'energy hierarchy', the first priority is to reduce demand; followed by

encouraging efficient energy production and consumption; then boosting renewables.

Incentives and support measures should reflect these priorities.

 

_ Take a holistic approach to energy which includes sustainable heat as well as

electricity and transport. Energy is an inter-related system and policy should pay

attention to all parts of the mix.

 

Quantified objectives

 

We welcome the UK's role in securing EU-wide 2020 targets. We now recommend

progressive national goals to deliver our contributions:

 

_ A statutory national target on energy conservation in support of the EU primary

energy savings commitments of over 20% from projected business-as-usual levels by

2020.

 

_ Acceptance of a binding commitment and milestones for renewables in total

energy consumption at the level of 15% proposed by the European Commission, with

an internal aim to achieve 20% by 2020.

 

_ Individual targets for renewables in the heat, transport and electricity sub-sectors

and for microgeneration to meet this aim.

 

These targets demand an urgent acceleration of the rate of progress.

 

National action plan

 

The long-term policy framework must be established swiftly, to provide investment signals for businesses of all sizes to deliver major changes to our energy system. Consumers, industry, commerce and government should be rewarded for becoming 'part of the solution'.

 

The coherent national plan for energy must involve:

 

Energy saving

 

Reduced consumption is the most efficient solution to energy security, fuel poverty and

climate change.

 

_ Reduce consumption through energy saving. Government should implement a

package of measures including advice that encourage consumer and worker

participation and deliver an absolute reduction in energy consumption in industry,

transport and the home (whilst protecting vulnerable consumers).

 

_ Reduce wastage in energy production. Government should incentivise the use of

heat from existing thermal power plant and use regulation and standards to prohibit

new thermal power stations that do not recover heat.

 

_ Reduce wastage in energy use. Government should introduce measures to

eliminate the most inefficient products from the market.

 

Efficient resource utilisation

 

Energy efficiency also demands optimised usage of sustainable energy resources.

_ Energy potential of biomass. Government should optimise energy use of biomass

consistent with secure food provision and sound environmental management.

 

_ Secondary bioenergy resources. It should eliminate obstacles to the energy use of

anaerobically digestible materials and combustible waste streams.

 

_ On-site renewables. Policies and incentives should ensure that renewable energy

incident on buildings and sites will be utilised wherever it is practical and viable.

The energy system, infrastructure and merchant energy production

Integrated community CHP systems and on-site energy deliver clean heat and electricity at the point of use, displacing inefficient production in and distribution from conventional

stations, and increase public awareness catalysing behaviour change.

 

_ Investment in decentralised energy systems. Government should ensure a fair

value for distributed energy and provide regulatory and fiscal incentives for

consumers, installers and network operators. Onshore and offshore renewable

generation can also displace a significant proportion of conventional stations.

 

_ Strategic approach to energy transmission. A radical new approach is needed to

facilitate and incentivise the transmission of renewable electricity, heat, gas and fuel

from their future source locations through national and local networks.

 

_ Streamlined consenting process. Government must ensure that changes to

planning and consenting procedures actually deliver accelerated, dependable and

fair consenting for sustainable energy projects.

Sustainable energy in the built environment

The most efficient path to sustainable buildings is holistic building design in which passive building design, energy efficiency and sustainable energy provision are integral.

_ Rapid transition to 'zero carbon' for all new buildings. Government should extend

into all sectors regulations to require new buildings to be 'zero carbon'.

 

_ Progressive conversion of existing buildings to 'carbon neutrality'. It should

also set targets, introduce measures and incentives to enable a reduction of 40% in

overall carbon emissions from the existing stock by 2020.

 

Sustainable energy in transport

 

_ Realise the potential of alternative fuels, including biofuels. Government should

enable the widest use of sustainable biofuels consistent with secure food provision

and sound environmental management, and accelerate the development of other

renewable fuels and drive systems.

 

_ Bring transport within energy policy measures. Government should subject all

forms of transport to energy efficiency, demand reduction and sustainability

requirements equivalent to the rest of the energy sector.

 

Sustainable energy in business, agriculture and the countryside

 

A sustainable energy mix requires support for energy users as well as producers, and taking opportunities to integrate energy production into the value chain.

 

_ Encourage self-generation. Users of all types should be encouraged to produce

their own sustainable energy, where practical and viable, and should receive reward

appropriate to the benefits of renewable decentralised production.

 

_ Integrated approach in land and agriculture. Policy alignment between the energy

and rural areas should support approaches, such as anaerobic digestion, which

 integrate energy solutions with other processes, or use land for energy as well as

agricultural or forestry production.

 

Incentives for users, investors and the industry

 

Contributions are required from all sectors. Support schemes and incentives need to reflect the varying needs of consumers, property-holders, vehicle operators, energy companies, retailers and other businesses. Consumers are vital to the success of Government's energy policies and without consumer support, major progress will be made much more difficult.

 

_ Energy tariffs. A national accreditation scheme should ensure that renewable

energy tariffs provide genuine incremental benefits and are presented with clear 'fuel

mix' disclosure to provide a transparent incentive for consumers and business users.

All tariff structures should reward energy conservation.

 

_ Coherent and appropriate incentives. Government will need a range of schemes

to address the above-named sectors, designed and implemented to work together

without conflict or perverse incentives.

_ Incentives for renewable heat and CHP. Renewable heat offers the potential for

low cost emissions reductions, and should be supported by measures consistent with

those for electricity and transport.

 

_ Long-term stability. The exit strategy for interim support measures must be defined

early to ensure investment stability. This includes a transparent and robust long-term

carbon market beyond existing emission trading schemes.

 

Skills and value chain

 

Dynamic growth in the sustainable energy sector will create a multi-billion pound industry in the UK with corresponding opportunities in employment and wealth creation.

 

_ Accelerate development of necessary learning and skills. There is currently a

UK skills shortage at all levels and across the sector. Home-grown skills are essential

to meeting the 2020 commitments.

 

_ Encourage local content as the UK market for sustainable energy systems

develops. Increased domestic sourcing enhances security of supply.

 

Leading by example

The UK should continue to press for international policies to enforce energy efficiency, boost renewables and eliminate barriers to sustainable energy.

 

_ Champion sustainable energy at home and abroad. The Government must lead

by example in its own procurement policies and infrastructure developments.

Government should invest in a sustained programme of education to achieve cultural

change in energy use.

 

_ Coherent government and regulation. Clear Cabinet responsibility needs to be

defined for delivering the overall policy and for co-ordinating the various Government

departments involved in delivery. A separate Department of Energy and Environment

will probably be necessary. Primary duties of relevant regulators must be aligned with

all national policy objectives.

 

Individually and together these measures will enhance sustainability, boost UK industry and reduce fuel poverty. They improve energy security by reducing import dependence,

maximising local resources and optimising the use of valuable fuels.

 

 

This statement is supported by the organisations listed:

 

Signatories to the Energy 2020 Manifesto

25 June 2008

 

Association for the Conservation of Energy – UK-ACE

Association for Environment Conscious Building – AECB

Business Council for Sustainable Development – UK

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers – CIBSE

Country Land and Business Association – CLA

Energy Institute – EI

Energy Saving Trust – EST

Environmental Services Association – ESA

European Marine Energy Centre – EMEC

Green Alliance

Institution of Civil Engineers – ICE

Institution of Mechanical Engineers – IMechE

National Energy Action – NEA

National Farmers' Union – NFU

National Non-Food Crops Centre – NNFCC

National Renewable Energy Centre

Renewable Energy Association – REA

Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce – RSA

Scottish Council for Development and Industry – SCDI

Scottish Renewables Forum – SRF

UK Green Building Council – UKGBC