Vent-Axia calls for change in carbon reductions

Vent-Axia has welcomed the new report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), calling for a further 'step change' in emissions reductions.

Vent-Axia considers this acceleration in carbon reductions crucial to meeting UK carbon budgets.

To achieve this further step change, Vent-Axia is urging the Government to implement a framework to incentivise households across the UK to take simple energy efficiency measures that will allow significant carbon reductions to be made in one fell swoop.

Under the Climate Change Act the CCC is required to report annually on emissions reductions relative to the UK's carbon budgets.

The Committee's second report, 'Meeting carbon budgets - ensuring low carbon recovery' cites an 8.6 per cent decline in greenhouse gases in the UK over the past year.

Unfortunately the CCC attributes this almost entirely due to the reduction of economic activity caused by the recession and increased fossil fuel/energy prices, and not the result of the implementation of measures to reduce emissions.

As the economy returns to growth, the Committee fears the risk is that emissions will increase, and that carbon budgets will not be achieved.

In the report, the CCC advised that new policies in at least four key areas would be needed to achieve the change: highlighting electricity market reform; buildings; transport; and agriculture.

The report's findings show that more clarity is required on how a national programme to encourage energy efficiency measures in the home will be funded, how householders will be incentivised to act, and the role of energy companies, businesses, local authorities and private landlords in helping to make buildings more efficient.

The importance of increasing renewable heat penetration in the UK was also highlighted in the report, since a rise in this technology is necessary to meet the first three carbon budgets; to meet the UK's obligations in the context of the EU's renewable energy target; and to develop technologies for roll out in the 2020s.

The CCC is currently reviewing renewable energy ambition that will look at renewable energy and heat and is set to report back to Government in Spring 2011.

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