Climate Change Law: Next steps

5 November 2008

The new law requires the Government to draw up a new climate change strategy by Spring 2009.

It will set out how the Government intends to cut the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government has some big decisions to make in the next few months.

These include:

• Airport expansion
  Extra runways at Stanstead and Heathrow must be refused
• New coal fired power stations
  Plans for new power stations like Kingsnorth that don't capture carbon must be scrapped
• Road widening schemes
  Government must invest in public transport instead.

The Government must consider how these developments will affect the UK's carbon budgets.

What next

Friends of the Earth believes the Government needs to take action in four key areas to deliver on the law:

• Apollo-scale Renewables programme
  To make renewable energy the UK's leading energy source.
• Massive drive for energy efficiency
  Doubling the energy efficiency of every home in the UK.
• Power to Local Authorities
  With duties to make cuts in carbon emissions at the local level.
• Shelve plans for polluting developments
  Like airports and new coal-fired power stations unless they capture and store their emissions.

The Climate Change Law will change our world - for the better.

To meet the targets laid out in the Law we can expect the following sorts of changes:

Year 2010:

• Sales of energy efficient appliances soar
  While energy inefficient products, like incandescent light bulbs, will disappear from our shelves.
• More home grown power
  Many households will start generating their own electricity and heat from micro-renewables like roof-mounted solar panels.
• Insulation plan
  The Government will have started to implement a national plan to super-insulate every home in the UK.
• Less waste, more recycling
  Less waste will go in the bin as manufacturers cut down on packaging. Regular doorstep collections will make recycling easy.

Year 2030:

• Carbon captured
  Carbon dioxide emissions from any remaining coal and gas power stations will be captured and stored.
• Energy demand halves
  An energy efficiency drive means massive cuts - saving money on heat and electricity bills
• Letting the train take the strain
  Larger trains replace planes for journeys around UK and Europe. Air travel mostly reserved for long haul flights.
• Fewer cars
  There will 10% fewer cars on the roads. City centres will be largely car free
• Public transport transformed
  More buses, trains and services which are linked up to make journeys quicker and easier.

Year 2050:

• 100% renewable
  All our energy will come from renewable energy sources such as the wind, sun, tides and waves.
• Millions of new jobs created
  The thriving renewable energy industry in the UK will provide millions of jobs and the start of a dynamic low carbon economy.
• Goodbye petrol. Hello Hydrogen.
  Hydrogen fuel cells supply our heat and electricity and multi-fuel filling stations provide cars with hydrogen and electricity.