News & Events

Events and Forthcoming Dates

June 25th – Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation document

The Renewable Energy Association, which represents the country's major renewable energy producers and users, has welcomed the breadth of the governments renewables strategy document, but calls for more immediate action...

Key Points:

  • Use local development orders to speed up the repowering of existing wind turbines
  • The givernments emerging thinking is to favour a RHI - Renewable Heat Incentive - for smaller scale un-metered installations
  • Recognition of problems with the LCBP, which has "not provided sufficient volume or certainty for industry to scale up to mass market production"
  • Recognition that "Micro-generation technologies have limited potential to make a significant contribution to the target" - although they can now be bought 'off-the-shelf' from the High Street.
  • The target is only useful in stimulating investment in distributed energy technologies if it is backed up by effective policy measures
  • Government does not believe it can meet its target for transport(assumed to be lower than 10% by energy) without trading emissions with other countries.
  • Bioenergy is discussed in detail - Hints are given for grant support for a Biomass Supply Chain, and that a system to guarantee the standards of fuel quality would increase user confidence. Full life cycle carbon costings for Biomass are also discussed.
  • Discussion of whether there are more effective ways to support emerging technologies

Link: BERR

May 20th – 22nd - Sustainabilitylive! NEC Birmingham. UK

Apart from a line up of top brand suppliers, Sustainabilitylive! 2008 will see awards, networking and an extensive features programme including high level keynotes, master classes, and seminars over 3 days.

Link: www.sustainabilitylive.com

May 1st 2008 – Code for Sustainable Homes

The Government confirmed that a mandatory rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes, will be implemented for new homes.

The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level.

Link: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk

April 6th 2008 – New rules for home owners installing microgeneration equipment.

All homeowners will be able to install microgeneration equipment, like solar panels, without needing to get planning permission as long as there is no impact to others.

Link: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/721541

April 6th 2008 – Site Waste Management Plans

All construction projects in England, over £300,000 in cost must, by law, have a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP.)

Link: www.defra.gov.uk

April 1st 2008, - New Grant Levels Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP2).

Organisations can apply for 50% of the cost for installing approved microgeneration technologies (impacts housing association and charities installing renewables).

Link: http://www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk

March 11th 2008 - Carbon zero non-domestic buildings

In his 2008 Budget speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announced the Government’s aim that all new non-domestic buildings be carbon zero by 2019. This follows the target announced last year for all new homes to be carbon zero by 2016.

Link: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

March 3rd 2008 - Energy-efficient home displayed at London trade show

A home that can run for up to a year without relying on electricity supplied by the National Grid was displayed in London this week.

Link: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Events in 2007

December 14th 2007 - Energy Performance Certificate

Every home put on the market, no matter what size, must have a Home Information Pack. It includes an Energy Performance Certificate that contains advice on how to cut CO2 emissions and fuel bills.

Link: http://www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/?aspxerrorpath=/home.aspx

May 21 2007 - White Paper Published (Planning for a Sustainable Future)

It proposes reforms on how we take decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects - including energy, waste, waste-water and transport - responding to the challenges of economic globalisation and climate change.

Link: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/planningsustainablefuture

April 2007 - Code for Sustainable Homes

Full Technical Guidance on compliance with Code for Sustainable Homes will be published.

Link: www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314116927.html

June 2007 - Energy Performance Certificates

Energy Performance Certificates to be introduced in June 2007 under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The EPBD will require that all new homes (and in due course other homes, when they are sold or leased) have an Energy Performance Certificate providing key information about the energy efficiency/ carbon performance of the home.

Link: www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/home.aspx

Events in 2006

February 2nd 2006 - 'Climate Change 2007'

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its 4th report on Climate Change development in which they concluded the likelihood that the phenomenon has been created by the burning of fossil fuels and other actions by humans is greater than 90%. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 28-43cm by 2100. The report was the fruit of 6 years comprehensive work produced with the input of thousands of scientific experts, hundreds of leading authors from 130 different countries and compiled in 4 volumes. It is the latest thoroughly detailed investigation into the signs, effects geohistorical context, and future repercussions of Climate Change.

Link: www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

December 18th 2006 - Consent for The London Array

The Government announced its decision to grant consent for offshore planning applications for the world's largest wind farm off the Kent coast. If built, the 1,000MW wind farm would displace nearly 2 million tonnes of CO2 a year and generate enough electricity to power 750,000 homes, equivalent to a quarter of Greater London's households or every home in Kent and East Sussex.

Links: www.londonarray.com / The British Wind Energy Association

December 13th 2006 - Launch of the 'Code For Sustainable Homes'

The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched by Communities and Local Government Secretary, Ruth Kelly. The Code has been developed to enable a step change in sustainable building practice for new homes and will become the single national standard for sustainable homes. In the short-term, Code compliance is voluntary but home builders will be encouraged to follow Code principles set out in the publication, as the Government is considering making assessment under Code standards mandatory in the future. Developers will be able to obtain a 'star rating' for new homes, which will demonstrate their environmental performance. It will provide valuable information to home buyers, and offer builders a tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms. Full technical guidance on how to comply with the Code will be published in April 2007.

Link: www.planningportal.gov.uk

December 6th 2006 - New Homes to be Zero Carbon by 2016

The Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report was published, announcing an ambition for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, with a time limited stamp duty exemption for the vast majority of new zero-carbon homes.

Link: The Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report December 2006

December 5th 2006 - Barker Report published

The Barker Report was published, written by economist Kate Barker, in which it was proposed that the town planning system be streamlined so that local councils can focus on bigger planning applications instead of creating a wide number of smaller domestic and commercial schemes. This proposal is likely to have highly negative effects on the environment allowing increasing overdevelopment in areas such as the south-east.

Link: The Barker Report

November 29th 2006 - Tough Carbon Limits

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme announced tough carbon limits under the second phase of the scheme. The stricter limits are seen to send a strong signal that Europe is committed to achieving the greenhouse gas emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

Link: The European Commission page on Climate Change

6 - 17 November 2006 - United Nations Climate Change Conference

The second meeting of the Parties to Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2) and twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) took place in Nairobi to discuss policy on climate change.

Link: unfccc.int/2860.php

November 4th 2006 - March on Climate Change

25,000 people marched through London to demand firm action against climate change. It was the largest ever turn out for a climate march in London. The `I Count' event preceeded the next round of climate change negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya, that start on 6th November.

Link: www.icount.org.uk/events

October 27th 2006 - Additional Funding for Homeowners

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks announced an additional £6.2 million funding for people who want to install microgeneration technologies on their homes. The funds were made available under the Low Carbon Buildings programme (LCBP). Since launching on 1st April 2006, the scheme has already allocated over £3m of grants to households.

Link: www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk

October 30th 2006 - Presentation of The Stern Report

Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the Government Economics Service and Adviser to the Government on the economics of climate change and development, presented his report on the Economics of Climate Change. The report summarised that the scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response. There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now.

Some of the key findings include:

  • One per cent of global gross domestic product, equivalent to £184 billion, must be spent on battling climate change.
  • The chance of a 5 degrees C rise in temperature over the next century is now 50 per cent. It has taken since the last ice age for temperatures to rise by this amount.
  • Since 1850, North America and Europe have produced around 70 per cent of all carbon emissions.
  • Deforestation is now responsible for 18 per cent of global emissions, a higher proportion than transport.
  • Up to 200 million people could become refugees due to flood or drought.
  • The market for low-carbon technologies could be worth US $500 billion by 2050.
  • Under a temperature rise of 3 degrees C to 4 degrees C, rising sea levels could result in hundreds of millions more people being affected by floods each year.
  • London, New York, Tokyo and Cairo will all face significant threat.
  • Up to 40 per cent of the planet's species face extinction if temperatures rise by just 2 degrees C.

Link: www.sternreview.org.uk

July 26th 2006 - A surge in On-site Renewable Energy Policies

A survey by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) revealed a surge in on-site renewable energy policies being developed by pioneering local authorities. More than 171 local authorities were shown to be working up policies that require developers to generate clean, safe energy on-site in new developments. The survey revealed that 80 councils had developed target-led policies in line with the 'Merton Rule', which was pioneered by the London Borough of Merton. The council pioneered the approach requiring 10 per cent of energy demand in new developments over a certain size to be met through on-site renewable sources. Local authorities reported that setting ambitious targets has not deterred developers, but that the approach is playing an important role in combating climate change and helping consumers save money on their energy bills.

Links: TCPA Press Release / The Merton Rule pages

July 11th 2006 - Release of Government's Energy Review

The Government's report on the Energy Review: "The Energy Challenge" was released. In a statement to the House of Commons the Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, highlighted the two major long-term challenges in UK energy policy: the need to tackle climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions; and the need to deliver secure, clean energy at affordable prices, as we move to increasing dependence on imported energy.

Link: DTI energy pages

June 14th 2006 - Home Energy Ratings to be Compulsory

The government announced the introduction of a compulsory rating for homes. The new measures could help tackle climate change. The energy ratings will be similar to consumer-friendly fridge ratings and will have to be produced for every home bought and sold in England and Wales from June '07. The certificates will give home buyers and sellers A-G ratings for their home's energy efficiency and carbon emissions.

Link: Home Energy Ratings Press Release

June 8th 2006 - New Developments expected to include On-Site Renewables

Yvette Cooper MP, Minister for Housing and Planning, announced that the government will now "expect all authorities" to put in place on-site renewable energy policies. The statement announced that "The Government expects all planning authorities to include policies in their development plans that require a percentage of the energy in new developments to come from on-site renewables". It also referred specifically to the pioneering efforts of Merton and Croydon councils and emphasized that "It is essential that all planning authorities follow this example".

Link: The written ministerial statement

March 28th 2006 - Publication of The Climate Change Programme

The Climate Change Programme is expected to reduce the UK's emissions of greenhouse gases to 23-25 per cent below base year levels and reduce the UK's carbon dioxide emissions to 15-18 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010. The new policies in the Programme will reduce carbon emissions by some 7-12Mt by 2010. According to a DEFRA press release, the measures to reduce emissions target every sector of the economy and include: a stricter emissions cap for industry; measures to encourage the uptake of biofuels in petrol; tighter building regulations; measures to improve household energy efficiency; a renewed emphasis on encouraging and enabling the general public, businesses and public authorities to help achieve the Government's targets and increased levels of microgeneration

Link: The Climate Change Programme Press Release

February 9th 2006 - Urgent Review of PPS22 to be undertaken

ODPM Minister for Housing and Planning Yvette Cooper MP made a commitment to undertake an "urgent review" of PPS22 (Planning Policy Statement for Renewable Energy). This followed discussion of an amendment to the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill tabled by Conservative MP Greg Barker, who said "tinkering at the edges is not enough". The amendment to the Bill was defeated by 10 votes to 5 by MPs, but the importance of the issue and the need to look again at PPS22 was accepted by the Government in committing to the review.

January 26th 2006 - Launch of 'Sustainable Energy by Design'

According to the 'Town and Country Planning Association', renewable energy can generate heat, power and profits for communities and developers. In their guide, 'Sustainable Energy by Design', the environmental charity show-cased how innovative planners, developers and investors are doing their bit to combat climate change, whilst profiting from the increasingly competitive business of supplying clean, green energy in towns and cities across the UK.

January 23rd 2006 - Launch of 'Our Energy Challenge'

'The Department for Trade and Industry', 'Secretary of State' and 'Minister for Energy' launched the Energy Review consultation document - "Our Energy Challenge: Securing Clean, Affordable Energy for the Long Term". The Government's energy review will consider whether the country needs to replace its ageing nuclear power stations to help achieve its target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050.

Link: The Energy Review consultation document