Green is working!
More than 200 people from low carbon businesses and campaign groups gathered outside the Treasury on Thursday in a bid to demonstrate that the green sector is delivering on growth and jobs. The groups, led by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, also handed a joint letter, signed by 55 signatories, calling on the Prime Minister and Deputy Nick Clegg, to include a target in the forthcoming Energy Bill that would aim to decarbonise the power sector by 2030.
Ofgem propose plans for tariffs
Energy has once again been hitting the headlines and today’s announcement on energy tariffs from Ofgem marked the latest in an eventful week for the UK energy market. Good Energy’s reaction to the proposals is included here. It was also reported that Osborne, Davey, Alexander and Cameron met on Wednesday to finalise the content of the new energy bill, which is expected to be published in November.
Green Alliance report emphasises benefit of demand reduction
According to a Green Alliance report published on Tuesday, policies to encourage energy efficiency could result in a 40% reduction in electricity demand by 2030. The report called for the introduction of an electricity efficiency feed-in tariff, allowing for a market-based approach to energy saving. It also claimed that such a reduction in energy demand would equate to a saving of more than £10bn per year.
Ecoisland Summit
Over 30 islands and regions were represented at a summit on the Isle of Wight this week to discuss self-sufficiency and sustainability. The aim is for those communities involved to become renewable energy self-sufficient by 2020 and fully "sustainable" by 2030. An important aspect of the Ecoisland programme is a proposed smart grid rollout, and it’s hoped that the Isle of Wight could soon provide a case study that can be replicated by communities all over the world.
Why the Mail on Sunday’s misleading article is wrong
Earlier this week, the Mail on Sunday ran an article which claimed that Met Office data showed that global warming has stopped. The Met Office responded, saying that the information is simply wrong. The Guardian also published a detailed rebuttal, explaining why the Mail on Sunday was incorrect in virtually every assertion made in the article.
