- September 22, 2010
The European Commission is accused of withholding research on the environmental impact of EU biofuels polices. (Reuters, EU Observer, European Voice)
Four Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Commission on Monday to gain access to a study that assessed the environmental impacts of an EU policy that requires member states to use renewable energy sources to meet 10% of their transport needs by 2020. Under the rules adopted last year, it is expected that this target will be met in large part through the increased use of biofuels.
The study carried out for the Commission by the International Food Policy Research Institute, based in Washington DC, assessed what the environmental impacts would be if member states used biofuels to meet 7% of their road transport fuel needs by 2020.
It analyses the impact of this level of biofuel use on indirect land-use change: where forests are converted into cropland to replace those lost to biofuel production. Environmental groups are concerned that such practices can lead to an increase in carbon emissions.
The study is part of an assessment that the European Commission is undertaking to examine the impact of the EU policy on indirect land use changes. The Commission’s assessment is due to be completed by 31 December this year, and could result in changes to the current EU rules if it is found that existing policies would have detrimental impacts to the environment.
The legal case against the Commission says, “The Commission is withholding scientific evidence demonstrating the true environmental impacts of EU biofuel policies. The concern underlying policymaking on biofuels is that the Commission is conforming the science to the policy, not the policy to the science.”
The case is being brought by ClientEarth, a not-for-profit group of environmental lawyers which has its headquarters in London; Transport and Environment a sustainable transport campaign group based in Brussels; European Environmental Bureau, a campaign group also based in Brussels; and BirdLife International, a group of conservation organisations with its headquarters in the UK.
According to Reuters, this is not the first time the Commission has withheld research on its biofuels policy.
Nor is it the first time the Commission has stifled research that puts its policy proposals in a bad light (See Nature's news story on the EU's chemcial's policy).
Thursday, 23 September 2010
World's largest wind farm opens off Kent
By Emily Beament, PA
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Environmental campaigners today urged the Government to invest more in renewables, as the world's largest offshore wind farm was officially opened off the UK coast.
The Thanet offshore wind farm, off the south east coast of England, has 100 turbines which will produce enough green energy a year to power the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes.
Energy company Vattenfall, which has constructed the farm - now the biggest offshore wind site in the world - said the electricity produced substantially increases the amount of green power generated in the UK.
The total capacity of the UK's onshore and offshore wind turbines now exceeds 5GW, enough to power all the homes in Scotland.
The progress on wind power was welcomed by Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, who is attending the official launch of the wind farm today.
Mr Huhne said: "We are in a unique position to become a world leader in this industry. We are an island nation and I firmly believe we should be harnessing our wind, wave and tidal resources to the maximum.
"I know that there is still more to do to bring forward the large sums of investment we want to see in low-carbon energy in the UK, and we as a Government are committed to playing our part."
Friends of the Earth warned the UK's record on renewable energy remained "dismal", and called on ministers to invest more in green power, saying it would also deliver jobs and low-carbon industry.
The environmental group wants to see the Government guarantee funding of at least £2 billion a year for the Green Investment Bank, which aims to boost private sector spending on low-carbon technology.
And Friends of the Earth is calling on ministers to remove the barriers to developing offshore wind, for example by upgrading ports so they can ship out offshore wind turbine parts.
Campaigns and policy director for the green group, Craig Bennett, said: "The Thanet offshore wind farm is an important stride forward in securing our energy supplies and protecting us from the worst effects of climate change.
"Despite years of Government promises, the UK's record on renewable energy is still dismal - we urgently need to invest in green energy projects and to develop a sense of community ownership in them.
"Now is the time to be increasing renewable energy - nothing would do more damage to investor confidence than for the Government to raise doubts about long-term support for the industry.
"Investing in renewable energy will boost our economy by creating new green industries and jobs - the Government must ensure adequate funding and make the UK a world leader in tackling climate change."
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Environmental campaigners today urged the Government to invest more in renewables, as the world's largest offshore wind farm was officially opened off the UK coast.
The Thanet offshore wind farm, off the south east coast of England, has 100 turbines which will produce enough green energy a year to power the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes.
Energy company Vattenfall, which has constructed the farm - now the biggest offshore wind site in the world - said the electricity produced substantially increases the amount of green power generated in the UK.
The total capacity of the UK's onshore and offshore wind turbines now exceeds 5GW, enough to power all the homes in Scotland.
The progress on wind power was welcomed by Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, who is attending the official launch of the wind farm today.
Mr Huhne said: "We are in a unique position to become a world leader in this industry. We are an island nation and I firmly believe we should be harnessing our wind, wave and tidal resources to the maximum.
"I know that there is still more to do to bring forward the large sums of investment we want to see in low-carbon energy in the UK, and we as a Government are committed to playing our part."
Friends of the Earth warned the UK's record on renewable energy remained "dismal", and called on ministers to invest more in green power, saying it would also deliver jobs and low-carbon industry.
The environmental group wants to see the Government guarantee funding of at least £2 billion a year for the Green Investment Bank, which aims to boost private sector spending on low-carbon technology.
And Friends of the Earth is calling on ministers to remove the barriers to developing offshore wind, for example by upgrading ports so they can ship out offshore wind turbine parts.
Campaigns and policy director for the green group, Craig Bennett, said: "The Thanet offshore wind farm is an important stride forward in securing our energy supplies and protecting us from the worst effects of climate change.
"Despite years of Government promises, the UK's record on renewable energy is still dismal - we urgently need to invest in green energy projects and to develop a sense of community ownership in them.
"Now is the time to be increasing renewable energy - nothing would do more damage to investor confidence than for the Government to raise doubts about long-term support for the industry.
"Investing in renewable energy will boost our economy by creating new green industries and jobs - the Government must ensure adequate funding and make the UK a world leader in tackling climate change."
Chris Huhne announces 250,000 green jobs to boost the economy
The energy secretary says the green deal will include modernising 26m homes to make them energy-efficient
Patrick Wintour, political editor guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 September 2010 20.57 BST
A plan to create almost 250,000 jobs in green industries, including nuclear power and home insulation, will turbo-charge the economy and help offset budget cuts, the energy secretary, Chris Huhne, claimed today.
The "green deal" will lead to thousands of workers modernising some 26 million homes to make them more energy efficient as part of the coalition's ambition to be the "greenest government ever".
Setting out the plan, Huhne said: "Since there is no money left, my department is pioneering new ways of turning this government into the greenest ever.
"We use more energy to heat our homes than Sweden, where it's seven degrees colder in January. We might as well be standing outside burning £50 notes. By stopping this waste, we can make big savings on bills, and use them to pay businesses for the cost of insulation. This is the green deal."
Huhne was unable to give any news on whether there will be public funds for the proposed green investment bank or whether the Treasury will provide any start-up funds for up to four pioneering carbon capture and storage plants.
There is an interval of a couple of years in which the Treasury would need to subsidise the projects before an industry levy could fund the plants.
Negotiations with the Treasury are continuing, and Liberal Democrat sources said there was no guarantee that there would be an announcement by the time of the spending review on 20 October.
In his set piece conference speech, Huhne pledged that by the end of the parliament Britain would boast the fastest growing renewable industry in the EU. He also promised that he would require energy firms to tell consumers before they raise prices.
He said: "In any other business consumers know the price before they buy. Energy should be no different."
Huhne will use an energy bill this autumn to require consumers to be informed on their bill what they going to pay at current consumption levels on their existing tariff or an alternative tariff.
He risked some controversy by making it clear he will go ahead with nuclear power stations so long as there is no hidden public subsidy. He does not regard a carbon floor price as a subsidy to nuclear power since it will be available to other industries, including renewables.
Huhne told Lib Dem members that if they expected the chancellor, George Osborne, to support taking more low-paid earners out of the tax system, they had to respond.
"George Osborne expects me to deliver our agreement on nuclear power, which is that there is an important place for new nuclear stations in our energy mix as long as there is no public subsidy. A deal is a deal, and I will deliver," he said.
He argued there is no need for subsidy since nuclear power is "now a mature technology, not an infant needing nurture". He said, "I am fed up with the stand-off between renewables and nuclear which means we have neither – we will have both. We will have low-carbon energy and security of supply". Liberal Democrats MPs in the coalition agreement have a right to abstain for the new nuclear power stations in line with party policy, he said. Huhne has not yet said whether he will personally abstain
He also announced a new "government-wide carbon plan" setting out policies and deadlines for each department to "ensure real action on climate change".
Audrey Gallacher, head of energy policy at the watchdog Consumer Focus, said: "Getting energy suppliers to give consumers more warning of price rises is something we've called on Ofgem to do – and this announcement is a step in the right direction.
Patrick Wintour, political editor guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 September 2010 20.57 BST
A plan to create almost 250,000 jobs in green industries, including nuclear power and home insulation, will turbo-charge the economy and help offset budget cuts, the energy secretary, Chris Huhne, claimed today.
The "green deal" will lead to thousands of workers modernising some 26 million homes to make them more energy efficient as part of the coalition's ambition to be the "greenest government ever".
Setting out the plan, Huhne said: "Since there is no money left, my department is pioneering new ways of turning this government into the greenest ever.
"We use more energy to heat our homes than Sweden, where it's seven degrees colder in January. We might as well be standing outside burning £50 notes. By stopping this waste, we can make big savings on bills, and use them to pay businesses for the cost of insulation. This is the green deal."
Huhne was unable to give any news on whether there will be public funds for the proposed green investment bank or whether the Treasury will provide any start-up funds for up to four pioneering carbon capture and storage plants.
There is an interval of a couple of years in which the Treasury would need to subsidise the projects before an industry levy could fund the plants.
Negotiations with the Treasury are continuing, and Liberal Democrat sources said there was no guarantee that there would be an announcement by the time of the spending review on 20 October.
In his set piece conference speech, Huhne pledged that by the end of the parliament Britain would boast the fastest growing renewable industry in the EU. He also promised that he would require energy firms to tell consumers before they raise prices.
He said: "In any other business consumers know the price before they buy. Energy should be no different."
Huhne will use an energy bill this autumn to require consumers to be informed on their bill what they going to pay at current consumption levels on their existing tariff or an alternative tariff.
He risked some controversy by making it clear he will go ahead with nuclear power stations so long as there is no hidden public subsidy. He does not regard a carbon floor price as a subsidy to nuclear power since it will be available to other industries, including renewables.
Huhne told Lib Dem members that if they expected the chancellor, George Osborne, to support taking more low-paid earners out of the tax system, they had to respond.
"George Osborne expects me to deliver our agreement on nuclear power, which is that there is an important place for new nuclear stations in our energy mix as long as there is no public subsidy. A deal is a deal, and I will deliver," he said.
He argued there is no need for subsidy since nuclear power is "now a mature technology, not an infant needing nurture". He said, "I am fed up with the stand-off between renewables and nuclear which means we have neither – we will have both. We will have low-carbon energy and security of supply". Liberal Democrats MPs in the coalition agreement have a right to abstain for the new nuclear power stations in line with party policy, he said. Huhne has not yet said whether he will personally abstain
He also announced a new "government-wide carbon plan" setting out policies and deadlines for each department to "ensure real action on climate change".
Audrey Gallacher, head of energy policy at the watchdog Consumer Focus, said: "Getting energy suppliers to give consumers more warning of price rises is something we've called on Ofgem to do – and this announcement is a step in the right direction.