Big plans: Sustainable communities and Climate Finance
Source: DECC (12th July, 2010)
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker is today [12 July] launching the first stage of the Government’s plans to help communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power.
Empowering communities to generate their own energy on a large and a small scale can not only bring in an income but also help save money on fuel bills and increase domestic energy security.
Homes, schools and businesses are already guaranteed cash payments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ for producing their own green electricity through technologies such as solar panels or small wind turbines, as well as for selling it to the national grid.
Around 100,000 homes and organisations have installed this kind of technology so far. The Government wants to see what more it can do to help develop the industry, create more job opportunities, and make sure customers can trust the green technology they buy.
Greg Barker said: “I want to see more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people. Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.
“By becoming more self sufficient we can create sustainable local energy economies. People and communities can save money on their fuel bills at the same time as generating an income and cutting carbon. I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”
The consultation on the Microgeneration Strategy will look at four key areas for development:
- Quality: ensure consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards;
- Technology: examine how to improve products through more trialling of technologies new to the UK;
- Skills: develop the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK;
- Advice: provide more accessible advice and information about microgeneration to homeowners, communities and small businesses.
Chris Huhne calls for renewed focus on climate finance
Chris Huhne warned today [12 July] that a deal on climate finance is vital to breaking the climate deadlock. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change arrived in New York for a meeting of the High Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. The group was set up to identify ways of raising new and innovative sources of climate financing to reach $100 billion per annum of public and private finance by 2020 as agreed during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last December.
Chris Huhne said, “Helping developing countries tackle climate change is crucial if we are to secure a comprehensive and ambitious deal. Aside from a moral obligation to help vulnerable countries who have historically contributed little to the problem, it’s also in our own interests to provide practical support.
I’m looking forward to getting down to work with colleagues in New York to secure the long term finance needed to tackle climate change and kick start a renewed push towards a truly ambitious climate change deal.”
Chaired by Prime Ministers Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, the Group consists of finance and environment Ministers and economic and finance experts including President Obama’s chief economic advisor Larry Summers, George Soros and Prof Nick Stern.
The Group will work to develop proposals to present to the UN Secretary General by the end of October 2010, ahead of the international discussions at Cancun, Mexico.
Tags: Chris Huhne, climate finance, Climate Minister, Sustainable communities
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