Energy White Paper and Wales

New dawn for renewables and nuclear freeze

The UK's long-awaited Energy White Paper will be launched today (Monday 24 February 2003) by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Energy White Paper presents the Government with an ideal opportunity to finally phase out nuclear power and set the UK on a course toward a truly sustainable energy future based on increased energy efficiency and renewable technologies.

Commenting ahead of the White paper and what it may mean for Wales, Friends of the Earth Cymru energy spokesperson Neil Crumpton said:

"Setting out towards a green renewably powered and energy efficient future would be one of the best things we can do for our children, future generations, Earth itself and ourselves. Deploying renewable power and energy efficiency technologies is by far the safest, healthiest, and most secure way that the UK could obtain its future energy supplies while helping protect the global climate. Such a future would also create thousands of jobs and excellent opportunities for UK companies not least because UK natural energy resources are large.

We believe climate change can be tackled without the need for new nuclear reactors which would produce long-lasting toxic waste and would be vulnerable to terrorism.

It is rumoured that no specific renewables target will be set. Without such a target it would be difficult to make meaningful progress on tackling climate change. If no UK target is forthcoming then the Welsh Assembly Government should move to finalise its own strong target supported by strategic planning and fiscal resources where necessary. Adopting a Welsh target of at least 20% by 2010 would stimulate jobs Wales-wide in development, manufacture and deployment of new energy technologies."

Notes

1) The Energy White Paper will decide the UK's energy policy for the coming decades.

What Friends of the Earth Cymru would like to see in today's White Paper:

• adoption of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's target of a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,
• setting of progressive renewables targets plus the infrastructure and the financial and other resources to achieve them,
• adoption of the PIU's domestic energy efficiency targets of 20% by 2010 and a further 20% by 2020 and introduction of commercial energy efficiency targets,
• rule out, once and for all, any nuclear new-build,
• plans to reduce the use of private motorised transport.
  

on energy efficiency Friends of the Earth Cymru would like to see:

• new building standards and regulations,
• the introduction of the EU Directive on the energy performance of buildings at the earliest opportunity,
• the reduction of VAT on DIY energy saving materials to 5%.

2) The Welsh Assembly Government is considering setting a renewables 'benchmark' of 4 Terra-Watthours per year, about 20% of current electricity demand by 2010