sceptical aboutclimate change to "help persuade" German chancellor Angela
Merkel and others to set lower renewable targets, before binding commitments
are framed in December.
He will say that
the current target of 20 per cent of all European energy to come from
renewable sources by 2020 is, expensive and faces "severe practical difficulties".
Green Party Principal
Speaker Caroline Lucas,who is also the Green Euro - MP for the South East,
said:
"The Government has
failed to show any real commitment on targets set by the EU, so the contents
of these leaked papers sadly come as no surprise.
"Current government
policies in support of renewable energy are confusing, piecemeal and inadequate,
and now seem to be in complete disarray.
"This consistent
failure of political will to do what is necessary to substantially increase
investment in renewable energy is shameful, particularly at a time when
scientists are reporting that carbon emissions are accumulating in the
atmosphere far more quickly than predicted.
"Moreover, to object
to the renewable target on the grounds that it could undermine the EU’s
carbon trading scheme is an extraordinary argument, which suggests that
the Government has forgotten that the primary aim of emissions trading
is to reduce emissions.
"The UK has a real
opportunity to lead the way in the development of alternative sources
of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, yet the Government
prefers to hold on to its ambition of introducing more dirty, dangerous
and expensive nuclear power instead.
"Radical reforms
are urgently needed to the way renewable energy technology development
is supported in the UK. Government grants are derisory and the private
sector currently invests just £250m a year in renewable energy technology
when to significantly boost this industry we need to see more like £2.5
billion going into new projects.
"Capital grant schemes,
such as the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which has been massively oversubscribed
despite being under-promoted, need a proper level of funding. The UK’s
record is derisory compared to much more rapid investment in other countries
including Germany, Denmark and Japan."
The Green Party believes
that seriously tackling climate change requires a radical policy shift
at the heart of government. We would:
- Replace the Renewables
Obligation by phasing in "Feed in Tariffs"- a simple framework of guaranteed
prices for exported renewable energy. ‘Feed-in tariffs’ have been a runaway
success in Germany and other countries, stimulating both large- and small-scale
projects and kick-starting a profitable industry that supports many thousands
of jobs. - Apply a resources tax to fossil fuels to expand funding for
energy conservation and renewables - Expand the capital grants scheme
for renewables - Introduce a low-cost loan scheme for individuals and
businesses - Create a more favourable planning policy framework for renewable
energy
In this way we would
massively invest in renewables, creating thousands of jobs and allowing
us to switch from carbon-based to a renewables economy. |