12/05/2006 - The report
"The Balance of Power" by independent
consultants ILEX shows that by increasing renewable
energy and cutting energy waste the British power
sector could actually reduce emissions by 55 per
cent by 2025.
Keith Allott, Head of climate
change at WWF UK, said: "The much talked
about 'energy gap' is simply a myth which has
been perpetuated to justify the resurgence of
nuclear power. This report shows that a renewed
focus on reducing demand for electricity and increasing
the use of renewable energy and microgeneration
would make new nuclear redundant. We can not only
meet energy demand without resorting to new nuclear
power, but with the right measures we can reduce
emissions from electricity generation too."
The report analysed future energy
generation and carbon dioxide emissions under
the assumption that no nuclear power stations
were built in the UK. It looked at three different
scenarios ranging from business as usual to a
greener scenario.
Fairly modest measures to reduce
the growth in electricity demand and increase
renewable energy to 25 per cent by 2025 could
help the British power sector to reduce emissions
by 55 per cent from 11000 levels, according to
the report. In contrast, under current 'business
as usual' policies, the power sector's emissions
would be reduced by just 18 per cent by 2025.
Both these scenarios require a high dependence
on imported gas, but the 'business as usual' scenario
would require considerably more gas because the
total demand for electricity would be higher.
WWF UK, which has submitted
the report to the government's Energy Review,
is calling on the government to introduce a Carbon
Budget that would set year-on-year emissions reduction
targets for the UK. WWF also wants the government
to set tough limits on pollution from the power
sector through the second phase of the European
Emissions Trading Scheme.
"The solutions to both
tackling climate change and meeting our future
energy needs are on the table for the government
to consider," added Keith Allott. "The
only barrier to putting the UK on a low carbon
future is political will. We have seen the environment
rocket up the political agenda in the last month
with opposition parties putting real pressure
on the government. Tony Blair's environmental
credentials rest on whether he is prepared to
make the tough decisions required to really make
a difference."
