the Carbon Challenge

On the road (again!)

I can’t remember who it was said that a week was a long time in politics, well I can assure you that after three weeks on the Party Conference road it seems like an eternity, not only because of the succession of meetings, fringe events, snack food, early starts and late nights, but also it’s amazing reflecting on the last three weeks what has fundamentally changed in the political landscape.

The Lib Dems met in Bournemouth and I have to say it was a fairly muted event, easy going, low security but somewhat reflected by the weather in being rather grey and overcast.  EST had a really good and well attended fringe with Steve Webb on Developing Low Carbon Citizenship.  There was lots of fringe enthusiasm generally, although my perspective would be that the environment was not so far up the agenda as in previous years with the Lib Dems.   This I think was also reflected in the Green Standard, a review of the state of the Parties regarding the environment co-ordinated by Green Alliance.  I thought Vince Cable made an excellent speech which somewhat over-shadowed that of his leader Nick Clegg, fully of good common sense, provocative where necessary, but as always with the Shadow Chancellor, difficult to avoid the thrust of his major arguments particularly around financial probity both personally and collectively.

A move onto Labour’s conference at Manchester, which unsurprisingly was a much higher profile affair, once again bringing the centre of Manchester to a complete standstill much to the annoyance of Mancuians I spoke to!  I am not sure personally that re-directing the conference to Manchester has been quite a successful as the Party of the North had hoped, anyway, apart from the infamous 3am press conferences following the drinking and the occasional debate we ran a good couple of fringes ourselves, the highlight of which was one with the Environment Secretary of State Hilary Benn.  However, I have to say that in many respects the minds of the delegates appeared to be elsewhere rather inward looking, again in weather terms cloudy, occasionally sunny but never any chance of full sunshine.

Finally, via a brief trip back to the office, to Birmingham and the Conservatives.  I was fully expecting it to be a rather more gun ho affair than it turned out to be.  George Osbourne, seriously serious, David Cameron, seriously statesman like, but the party literally was rather muted.  Some welcome news on transport and aviation, a sign of some brave decision making perhaps but disappointment that no commitment is given to increasing the amount of Green Taxes, particularly around high emitting passenger vehicles.  A lively couple of fringes, particularly one with Charles Hendry on the Renewables 2020 Action Plan which was launched at each conference by the Renewable Energy Association and the Royal Society of Arts where we have had some considerable input into contents.  Go to www.thersa.org\energy2020 to view.

Charles Hendry the Shadow Energy spokesman was really on message with regard to energy efficiency and micro generation and surprisingly sceptical about large scale infrastructure projects so hope for the future!  But again following a sunny start it began to drizzle.  I only caught the text so the transcript and the highlights of Cameron’s speech, that was the one on the last day by the way, I think it set some sort of record speaking every day, but it was noticeable that with one exception the environment featured very little serving only as a back drop to re-enforce the context around poverty and community.  I fear we have a job in the current climate in all partners that has got to get it back up, the Government and Oppositions agenda.  Anyway here’s to better food, no alcohol and sound sleeping before getting back into the fray.

Not green or growth, but both!

Well, I have to say that David Cameron delivered a really interesting speech on Monday under the headline 'Blue Green Charter' ; at the Royal Horticultural Halls.  He made it clear that going forward that there will not be a fudge or a compromise, a choice between economic, social or environmental progress but that to quote him “we will develop a strategy for a realistic environmentalism”.  He went on to say that the reality is that the UK cannot afford not to go green at a time when oil tops $135 a barrel and when every family in the land is being so hard hit in terms of bills, but equally he made it clear that despite talking about completely changing the way we heat our homes, travel to work and produce our food that the answers lay clearly within fundamental Conservative philosophy or as he referred to the blue/green charter. 

He talked about five key features or principles, harnessing the powers of markets, neutral green taxation, security of energy supply, the prioritisation of energy efficiency and the renewal of our national transport infrastructure.  All fairly straight forward and obvious thus far you might think, although I felt in outlining two detailed initiatives around the development of green cars and the bringing forward of carbon capture and storage, he did actually touch on some really radical suggestions including that a Conservative Government would follow the Californian model and implement an Emission Performance Standard which to you and I means that all electricity generation going forward could not be higher in emissions standards than that generated in a modern gas plant.  Given the current Government’s confusion/difficulty over the development or otherwise of Kingsnorth as Coal Plant without CCS this is quite a different approach.  Similarly he talked about a novel policy initiative which appears to add up to a hypothecation of green taxes which would go into a separate pot to finance tax relief for families.  Not quite sure what that might look like but he was at pains to emphasise that it did not mean new taxes.

In a similar vein I was personally delighted to see Cameron endorse a new system of feed-in tariffs which I have been calling for for some time.  It might just explain the small discrepancy between the number of domestic and decentralised energy systems installed in Germany compared to the UK!

The fourth principle or feature of the Conservative approach is I am pleased to say squarely in my own territory of interest “energy efficiency” where a combination of regulatory and other interventions combined with what on the face of it looks like a clear commitment to smart metering should help us influence behaviour and encourage people to be more energy efficient.  The only caveat I would add is we can have smart meters but we mustn’t have dumb citizens if we are to make the best use of them and therefore, the announcement he made that a Conservative Government would ensure every gas and electricity bill contained information with regard to energy consumption and comparing to other households is potentially a real step forward. 

Finally, transport, often seen as the elephant in the room whether it be roads or airports.  This speech tackles both head on, some fairly contentious judgements about the need for a third run way at Heathrow, pepper a series of rather vaguer commitments to high speed rail and tackling road bottle necks but I got a sense that there was less meat on the bones here, although it was good to see a politician not afraid to be somewhat contrarian around the ever growing “right” to air travel.

All in all a really quite challenging speech and I refer to another challenging speech given by one Abraham Lincoln in rather different circumstances but it seems appropriate in the context of climate change and I quote “with public sentiment nothing can fail, without it nothing can succeed.  Consequently he who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who merely enacts statutes or pronounces decisions”.  This speech by the man who maybe the next Prime Minister goes some way in policy terms in delivering on that sentiment.

Realising Britain's potential

I can't say that I am very often excited by papers setting out future strategies for countries, companies or indeed, even individuals, but my eye has been drawn this week to one such document published on 8th February by the strategy unit in the cabinet office entitled 'Realising Britain's potential: Future strategic challenges for Britain'. I wouldn't say that there is anything substantially new in the report, which runs to a daunting 184 pages, but the executive summary is well worth a look as it brings together the nine key strategic challenges facing Britain, including unsurprisingly population growth, the climate change and democratic renewal. All of these are fundamentally important if we are to mitigate the impacts of globalisation, population growth and the interconnectiveness of economies and societies. If you're suffering from insomnia, a full copy of the document can be downloaded by clicking here, but for those of you who don't have problems sleeping should read the executive summary as it gives a very clear picture of the challenges facing us. Talking of challenges look out next week for the first posting of the links to the Sky Green Shoots competition, which I referred in my blog last week.

London to Brussels and back again!

Fresh back from holiday, I have just spent an invigorating (yes – invigorating!) couple of days in Brussels, amongst other things, chairing a major seminar on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) as part of the European Union’s Sustainable Energy Week.   It does not sound very exciting does it, but trust me, it is really interesting how many commercial, environmental, political delegates were elbowing their way into the venue.  With a good speaking panel consisting of representatives of all of the above, but an audience of over 250 yesterday (Tuesday 29th January) to hear how this essential directive is implemented or in some cases not being implemented, the importance of which cannot be underestimated given that buildings still represent over 40 per cent of carbon emissions across Europe. 

The aim of the session was to launch a major piece of research work across 21 countries (19 EU Member States and two EU linked countries) which gives a snap shot of where Member States and EU linked countries are regarding the implementation of this key directive and it makes pretty sobering reading in places!  By the way, if you want to see a copy of it, then please click here.

The good news is that despite a patchy performance across Europe virtually all countries are now moving in the right direction, although inevitably some much faster and further than others.  The aim of the report was not to name and to shame, but clearly individual countries will draw their own conclusions from the results and will know their place in the league table and how they compare in terms of the best practice Case Studies.

I mention all of this because we often and probably in many cases quite rightly see only the dead hand of European bureaucracy with regard to the climate change agenda, but I have to say in this particular instance I came away heartened not only by the people I spoke to, but also the commitment of individual Member States to deliver on this agenda.  All very heartening in the context of what’s been going on elsewhere in the World this week.

The other thing to plug, if you have not yet had the chance to use it is the new Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Brussels. I can say without reservation it is absolutely fantastic, under two hours non stop between London and Brussels without a flicker, who needs airport expansion, if travel can be like this no one would go any other way.  Lets hope it’s a sign of things to come and perhaps we might even one day see the quality of this sort of service extended to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh etc etc and then some of the fatuous discussions about domestic air travel will evaporate as fast as the air trails they currently leave behind them.  Enough of whimsy - will be back soon.

Smart metering - an essential component of the Energy Bill?

As Philip is on holiday this week Jennifer Powers, Head of Government Affairs, has written a guest blog.


The Energy Bill received its second reading in the House on Wednesday and it was interesting to see the widespread support that exists for policies such as feed-in tariffs and mandated smart metering from both opposition parties and the labour backbenchers (but not, as of yet, the Government).


While neither policy is a magic bullet for incentivising energy efficiency and microgeneration, both are necessary as part of a wider suite of measures, if we are to make the step change in carbon reduction that is needed. The evidence thus far shows that smart meters on their own engender as little as one per cent saving in energy in the home (though even Ofgem admits this is a very conservative estimate) but the point is that they make energy consumption more transparent and information is the first step if people are to change behaviour. By making energy use, and energy saving, tangible smart meters make consumer engagement and subsequent action that much easier. Communication from energy companies through the meter and support from people like Energy Saving Trust will mean that many more people make changes to the products they buy and how they behave in the home.


Conservative Shadow Energy Minister Charles Hendry MP called for both smart metering and feed in tariffs to be included in the Bill and said he would be introducing amendments to this effect in Committee. He is not alone. The ERA and energy suppliers are lobbying hard for their inclusion in the Bill and rumour has it that work is underway across Whitehall to investigate the detail of how this might be done. So maybe it will happen after all.

Old King Coal!!

Happy new year to one and all. I trust you enjoyed a reducing, recycling and reusing Christmas as per my final blog of 2007! Well we have returned to a couple of big news stories this week, one which was widely reported in the press today regarding Medway’s decision to support an application to demolish an outdated coal power plant in Kent and replace it with another one, which burns coal despite nearly 9,000 objections. This will surely be a massive test for the Brown Government, which will have to decide how it's to strike a balance between the need for continuing security of energy supply whilst at the same time giving, if they approve this application, a clear signal that in many respects not only is coal back, but as far as carbon emissions are concerned it's a business as usual scenario being pursued! With supposedly 200 years of coal still available under our feet in the UK albeit extremely difficult to get at this is going to be both a crunch decision for Brown, but equally it will be interesting to see how the opposition parties position themselves with regard to the resurrection of the coal industry particularly given one lady's single-minded thrust in attempting to destroy it 20 odd years ago (My - doesn't that age me? It does seem a very long time ago!)

The other news story a bit closer to home concerned the "mauling" given to both officials and ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government following the introduction of Home Information Packs / Energy Performance Certificates. The Committee was withering in its criticism of the Department, "for overstating its achievements in its annual report in 2005, we criticised the Department. Simply omitting to mention failures, such as the troubled implementation of HIPs is no less unacceptable”. Ouch! In a similar vein, the permanent Secretary was chastised for suggesting that HIPs could not be introduced because of insufficient numbers of inspectors. This was deemed as casuistry given that CLG first watered down and then repeatedly delayed the introduction of HIPs. As the report concludes it’s too early to say what the precise impact of HIPs will actually have on the housing marketing, or on individual sales given the current state of the market. No doubt this particular bone will be fought over for weeks and perhaps months to come. For our part, my organisation will be doing its own customer research to find out what is really going on in terms of action on the ground as part of our national attitude and behaviour tracker. Watch this space! Whilst I am the first person to declare the importance of Energy Performance Certificates in changing people’s behaviour in the home around energy consumption, it will be an interesting play to see how important this Government feels they are relative to the attractions of ‘King Coal’.

Weapons of Mass Destruction!

I was intrigued by the reporting of Baroness Young’s comments that climate change should be viewed as World War III!  Based on the content of the Queens Speech, I can only say that if a war is to be fought, it will be a war without mention of people.  The three bills trailed earlier in this summer in the pre Queens Speech, i.e. the Climate Change Bill, the Energy Bill and the Local Road Transport Bill, all more or less rely on a combination of legal and technological frameworks, which it is hoped will not only see the 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions achieved, but also within a market framework delivering secure and affordable energy supplies. 

Mention is made of strengthening the Offshore Gas Supply infrastructure, encouraging investment in Carbon Capture and Storage and even investment to deliver local road pricing schemes, but nothing - absolutely nothing - about how we are actually going to engage communities and citizens in moving towards a low carbon society. It is as if we are wedded to a technologically determinist future where us poor citizens will look on in awe and amazement as a combination of central dictate and technical innovation solve all our problems.  I really, really don’t think so.   It will take a seismic shift in people’s attitudes towards sustainable living within the energy, water, waste and natural resources agenda and it is desperately dispiriting to see such little effort to engage communities on the ground in this fight.

I remind you what the Prime Minister said at a recent speech to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations and I quote,  “it is people who are engaged in changing the world that will be the next momentum of change”.  If that is in anyway to become reality we have to start trusting empowering and supporting citizens and local communities to deliver on the climate change agenda. As Baroness Young might have concluded in her remarks,  World Wars I & II were not “won” by technology or political legislation, but ultimately - like most things in life - by innovative persistent bloody mindedness on the ground!  It’s not too late to relearn the lessons of history.

When the lights go out…!!

How appropriate is that? Just as I started to put together this blog with a theme of power on, the lights went out, the computer went off, and we had a short power cut, as if I was being given a ghastly foretaste of what might become a regular occurrence in the not too distant future – and for some already what they spend their daily lives enduring.

The purpose of this blog is actually unusual in that it is devoted to plugging somebody else’s piece of work, but none-the-less if you only have the chance of reading one article as to why the future of renewables is such a fundamental part of the UK’s future energy supply then read the article by John Hughes and Mark Anslow in this month’s Ecologist magazine. It really does take you through, in a very understandable way, the scale of the issue, the technologies that need to be brought to market in order to solve it, as well as giving a realistic understanding of the UK as a renewable power house - including a detailed 'Energy Map'. For details of the information presented on the 'Energy Map' then go to www.theecologist.org/energy .

Talking of the scale of the problem, I can hear the bands outside Whitehall playing to “celebrate” the State visit of the Saudi Royal Family who clearly haven’t yet got the message about the size of their carbon footprint, not only representing – as they do – the largest producer and owner of the World’s finite fossil fuels supply, but also continuing to travel, in what they might call opulent style. How seriously can we take anyone who manages to fly five large jets from one Continent to another in order to have discussions about production, dissemination and use of deadly weaponry? Whilst we may all have to deal with some challenging relationships in the modern world, I think this carbon celebration is one too far for me. Why not stay at home and do it by video conference?!

Quality of Life: another report, or Conservative policy?

Well, as others have pointed out was Dave Cameron & Co waving or drowning at Blackpool this week?

From the environmental perspective the Conservative Party conference has been interesting, with lots of discussion about potential divisions between official policy and the Quality of Life report.  It was fascinating to sit on the same panel as Zak Goldsmith, the Co-Chair of the Quality of Life Report and Greg Barker the Shadow Energy Minister.  They were obviously doing their very best to ensure that they were singing from the same hymn sheet. However, none-the-less you could sense an interesting set of differences emerging between what is in the Quality of Life report and that which may get proposed as policy for a General Election, which could well be just weeks away.

What was fascinating at our Energy Saving Trust fringe, which saw over 200 people attended, was the quality of the questions from the Conservative audience, compared with - I have to say - those at both the Lib Dem and Labour Conferences.  Who would have thought three years ago that we would have been subject to such a wide ranging set of questions on bio diversity, waste, energy, recycling, nuclear? Whatever your thoughts about the outcome of the Quality of Life debate you can’t but feel that it has informed the average Conservative activist in a way that other Party's have failed to manage.  Let’s see what happens next!

Just a rye thought, however, but why oh why does any Party continue to hold its Conference in Blackpool - given its unsustainable credentials? I probably won’t make myself very popular with the citizens of Blackpool, but the venue itself i.e. the Winter Gardens and the transport arrangements in my opinion seem to run a distant third in terms of energy, waste and recycling in comparison to Bournemouth and Brighton.  I am not quite sure how you measure the carbon footprint of an entire conference but I am sure that somebody has. If any of you do know then I'd be interested to know just how poor Blackpool is as an environmental venue.  I await abuse from the citizens from Blackpool with some trepidation, but also interest - perhaps there are ways in which it could be rectified.

A footnote:  It was good to meet with David Cameron on Monday (Oct 1st) and persuade him to think seriously about basic energy matters rather than obsessing about windmills on the roof of his house in Notting Hill.  I wait with interest to see what his home energy check delivers.  He seemed quite positive about the prospect, so I hope we can make it happen.

Party conferences - taking climate change beyond the fringe

Hello there, I have been away for a few days, but I manage to catch a couple of days of the Labour Party Conference - joining the new Prime Minister and his many colleagues at Bournemouth in the sunshine.

What was striking about Gordon Brown's performance on Monday was two things. Firstly, the sheer length and volume of the speech (at 63 minutes roughly eight times longer than any other Minister's speech this week!), but probably more important from my perspective was that if you actually look at the script of some 7,500 words (yes - 7,500!) - then you notice that less than 200 were devoted to any issues regarding the environment. There are two ways of looking at this - either it is just not important enough, which I find staggeringly hard to believe, or there is a plan yet to be hatched. I sincerely hope it's the latter, as the other interesting fact about the Labour Party conference is that climate change and carbon reduction fringe meetings far exceeded any other topic of interest - there were over forty in total. There seems to be a little discontent between the Leadership and everybody else. I guess what this tells me is that we still have a long way to go in persuading public policy influencers of the importance of the domestic climate change agenda.

It was noticeable that the Secretary of State for the Environment spent a good part of the early part of this week in New York arguing the toss with the Americans about who should take what role in terms of Global Leadership on climate change. Now, whilst this is fundamentally important it does seem that we have missed a trick on leadership beginning at home. I would be interested in anyone else's views, either those who attended by the seaside or have just read reports in the paper.

Next week, it is sunny Blackpool and the Tories who are currently languishing a distant third in the Green Assessment Report of the nine organisations making up the Green Standard. Let's hope the Green Alliance has better to report after next week's conference - certainly so far the Government has done nothing to take an unassailable lead on this issue at home.