CCC calls for end to Tory uncertainty over renewables

The Tories must end uncertainty surrounding renewables by announcing clear policy plans for the next five years, according to an influential advisory group.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) – an independent statutory body – has written to UK Energy Secretary Amber Rudd to question her department’s approach to renewable energy.

The Committee’s letter says uncertainty over the Levy Control Framework, along with the decision to abolish the Green Deal and the Zero-Carbon Standard for new homes – with no clear answer over what they will be replaced by – is raising questions over how the UK will meet its carbon commitments.

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It warns that Tory policies have “been widely interpreted to have reduced the action being taken to meet the clear commitment to carbon budgets. They have, in some areas, left a policy gap which urgently needs to be addressed. As a package, they have raised questions over the future direction of low-carbon policies”.

The CCC says that the UK’s ability to meet carbon budgets depends on clarity over conditions for the next ten or 15 years, warning that recent announcements suggest a weakening of the policy framework.

Welcoming the Tory decision to sign up to cross-party commitment to agree carbon budgets in accordance with the Climate Change Act, the CCC says: “It would be particularly useful were the Government to set out its plans for achieving this, which should be possible with minimal impact on energy bills.”

The letter warns: “The Committee has supported transparent mechanisms to reduce government funding as technologies either prove they can compete or demonstrate they are not capable of being part of meeting carbon budgets cost-effectively.

“At the same time, it is important to recognise that these new technologies are often competing against incumbents who do not pay their full cost and that innovation through all stages often requires public support. It is essential therefore that funding is not withdrawn too early.”