Businesses call on Cameron to set 2030 decarbonisation target

Over 35 signatories, including Oxfam, Dong Energy, Repsol and The Co-operative Group,
signed a joint statement to MPs and ministers, covering a wide range of economic and civil society groups.

The call to support a decarbonisation target represents the biggest single group of organisations showing support for a joint statement on amendments to the Energy Bill and covers energy and supply chain companies, investors, unions, church groups and NGOs.

The next opportunity to include a revision to the Bill will be during the Report Stage in early March, where MPs will debate the latest amendment laid by Tim Yeo MP and Barry Gardner MP.

This would require the UK Government to set a ‘decarbonisation target’ by April 1 2014, which would put the UK on track to have a largely decarbonised power sector by 2030 in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change.

The groups which support this amendment to the Bill, say that they are “united in the belief that a low-carbon power sector is essential to secure the future wellbeing of our economy”, arguing that the Energy Bill “represents a major opportunity to put the UK firmly on track to becoming a world leading low-carbon economy, boost employment and show genuine leadership in the fight against dangerous climate change.”

Chief executive of WWF-UK, David Nussbaum, said: “This statement represents a compelling argument – from sectors across the economy and civil society – in favour of the Energy Bill being amended to include a decarbonisation target for 2030. MPs have it within their power to set the UK on course to a near carbon free power sector, and to put the country in the lead in the global clean energy race.

“This is exactly the sort of long-term signal that investors are looking for if we want to attract the billions of pounds of investment needed to strengthen the UK’s position as an industrial leader in green technologies, creating highly-skilled jobs in the process.”

Leigh Stringer