NGO report calls on government to refocus on low carbon imperative
Thu 09 June 2016
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Six of the UK's leading development and environment organisations say in a new report that the UK is 'going backwards' from its former position of leadership in low carbon global markets following policy reversals on renewable energy and in other areas. The report - 'Will the UK economy succeed in a low carbon world?' - says that confidence has been damaged in the UK’s domestic low carbon industries.
The report highlights evidence that while high carbon infrastructure spending has grown from 13% in 2013 to 33% in 2016, expenditure on low carbon projects has been gradually falling.
Cafod, Christian Aid, Green Alliance, Greenpeace, RSPB and WWF jointly published the report. It predicts that investment in low carbon generation, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage could rise to over $1.9trn by 2030.
The report says that the UK has a history of leading in the low carbon field having been the first country in 2008 to set a legally binding climate change target as well as implementing other measures such as zero carbon building initiatives (though abandoned last year) and the decision to shift away from coal generation. However, this leading position has come under increasing threat, as shown by EY’s renewable energy country attractiveness index, which has seen the UK drop from second in 2007 to 13th in 2016.
Lord Barker, former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, commented on the report saying: “To succeed in a world rapidly shifting to a low carbon economy, the UK needs more internationally competitive and innovative clean industries. To achieve this, we need to super charge our climate and energy strategy to create an even more attractive investment environment in which innovation and the entrepreneurs of the future can thrive.”
The report calls for greater support of the UK’s low carbon industry at home and for the government to champion UK low carbon experts and projects overseas, positioning the UK as an expert business partner in low carbon delivery.
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