British are "bored" with Climate Change

A new energy report suggests that British people are less environmentally conscious than they were five years ago.

4 out of 10 britons take no action at all to reduce their household carbon emissions, and twice as many people are now "bored" by talk of climate change as in 2005. Experts warn that green fatigue is one of the major reasons as to why there are more cars on the roads, more planes in the sky and no reductions in the mountain of packaging waste. The report reveals that too few people are making an effort to reduce their household CO2 emissions and environmentalists believe the recession is further undermining public commitment.

The report, by market researchers Mintel, shows that many of Britain's 26 million homes fail to make simple adjustments such as switching off lights, turning down thermostats, and switching off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. The findings also reveal that people are less willing to spend money on energy-efficient appliances than they were five years ago. Analysts believe the recession together with a backlash against "extreme" environmentalist pressure has reduced people's enthusiasm to combat climate change.

The report also found that resistance to saving the planet was greater among men; one in four said they think there is too much concern over the environment, compared with one in six women.

More information on the 2016 definition of "Zero Carbon".

Housing Minister, Grant Shapps announced additional information about the new definition of "Zero Carbon".

The Government plans to investigate setting up a community energy fund which will be used to pay for district heating and renewable energy schemes.

Developers who pay into the fund will not have to install onsite renewables or microgeneration equipment. Many developers have welcomed the flexibility of paying into a fund rather than grappling with renewables on each site.

However, the full definition of 'zero-carbon' has once again been delayed. This is despite a pre-election promise to get the definition of zero carbon finalised “within weeks” of getting into office.

The new Government Housing Minister has recently announced that the coalition will review the level of on-site renewables required - before publishing the final definition of the standard, which all new homes will have to reach after 2016.

In the announcement, the Minister also re-affirmed his commitment to all new homes being zero-carbon from 2016 and confirmed the introduction of the ‘Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard' which requires a minimum standard in relation to insulation levels and air tightness and thermal bridging in buildings.

Zero carbon is required of all Code for Sustainable Homes level six homes. Clarification of what zero carbon will mean is still to be decided.

If you require assistance with your Code for Sustainable Homes level requirements, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - we are a fully accredited Code for Sustainable Homes assessment organisation.

Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast

Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.

The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.

The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.

Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.

The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.

Micro-generation forms key part of Government's vision.

Green policies could hit UK manufacturing hardest.

A report from the think-tank Civitas warns that the increasing cost of energy, which has been driven up as a result of green policies could hit the UK's manufacturing sector - just as the country needs industry to help boost the economy.

The report said efforts to tackle climate change through cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy generation could significantly push up energy bills for business.Extra costs are put on energy from policies including the EU's emission trading scheme, the renewables obligation to boost investment in technology such as wind power, and the climate change levy which taxes energy use in businesses and the public sector. Also, the Labour Government's climate change strategy had already added an extra 14% on homeowners' electricity bills and 21% on business bills.

Last year's renewable energy strategy could have created "surcharges" of up to 70% for businesses, and 33% for domestic customers by 2020, the report from Civitas claimed. The study warns the new coalition Government's energy policy could be as damaging to manufacturing industry as the previous administration.

The review by economist Ruth Lea and Jeremy Nicholson, director of lobbyists the Energy Intensive Users Group, said the UK was badly placed to meet its commitments to boost renewables as it was starting from such a low base. Even without the extra costs imposed to pay for climate change policies, Britain has high industrial electricity prices, which threaten its competitiveness.

Ms Lea said: "The economy desperately needs a competitive and thriving manufacturing sector if it is to prosper. Competitive energy prices are vital to the success of manufacturers, especially energy intensive users.Government energy policies are, however, remorselessly driving up energy costs thus risking the 'migration' of manufacturing plants to economies where the costs are lower."

Positive attitudes towards forest carbon offsets have significantly increased in the past year.

CCBA, Conservation International, ClimateBiz, the Norton Rose Group and EcoSecurities launch the second annual 'forest carbon offsetting report 2010’, which focuses on corporations’ attitudes towards offsets from forestry projects.

The survey received 207 responses. Specifically, 157 from corporate organisations and 50 from specialised carbon companies.

Highlights of the research include:

Positive attitudes towards forest carbon offsetting have increased, with nearly 80% of respondents having a ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ attitude;

The most important factor when purchasing forest carbon offsets is the carbon standard (89%);

Reforestation with native species (89%) and avoided deforestation (78%) were rated the most desirable types of forestry project;

South America (74%) was the most sought-after region from which to purchase forest carbon credits;

The VCS and CCB Standards were the two most popular carbon standards (73% and 64% respectively).

To download the full version of this free report please simply click this link and fill in your details: The forest carbon offsetting report 2010

Waste from Energy Plant - Planning Struggle.

Proposals for 500 waste management plants will struggle to negotiate the planning system without incentives to communities, a parliamentary group said this week.

The UK is committed to diverting waste from landfill under European legislation, prompting the demand for new infrastructure by 2020. Following a five-month inquiry, the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group said achieving permission "remains an acute challenge for the waste sector".

It called for fresh thinking on consultation to turn infrastructure planning into a win-win proposition. It cites the example of Europe, "where waste management has become associated with delivering social benefits".

It wants incentives imbedded in planning for infrastructure, with communities offered discounts on their energy bills or allowed to own waste plants to pave the way for their development.

The group urged the waste industry to consider the model of community-owned wind farms, which share the profits from electricity sold to the national grid.

It added that community funds tied to waste contracts and operated through a committee offer a more flexible way of delivering planning gain than section 106 agreements and the community infrastructure levy.

Europe's low-carbon vision requires more integrated climate policy.

European governments must incorporate climate change more fully into policy if they are to tackle it successfully, according to a new report published this month.

Climate change issues must be "better integrated" into general and specific policy, including planning, taxation, transportation and annual budgets, says the report published by the Partnership for European Environmental Research (PEER).

Professor Dr Pat Nuttall, director of the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, which chairs PEER, wrote in his foreword to the report called Climate Policy Integration, Coherence and Governance: "Policy makers need to place greater emphasis on climate-related issues than is currently the case in the planning and execution of general and sector specific policies.

"Annual budgets, impact assessments and spatial planning are examples of existing measures that should integrate climate concerns to a greater extent than they currently do."

The report says more comprehensive government policy will result in the "necessary changes" in production processes and consumption patterns to tackle climate change.

Lead author Dr Per Mickwitz, of the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), said, "Although the inclusion of climate change mitigation and adaptation in general governmental programmes and strategies has substantially increased in recent years, much more is needed in terms of integrating climate issues into specific policy measures."

The report looks at the degree of climate policy integration at national and local levels in six European countries, including the UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

It sets out ways to boost integration and improve what it calls "policy coherence" to ensure climate change is given more political weight.
"The extent to which climate change issues are considered and integrated into existing policy fields is therefore a key issue to be tackled in the future," the report says.

"Furthermore, if European societies are to become low-carbon societies, and if their ability to adapt to a changing climate is to be enhanced, then the coherence between these policies and climate policy aims should be increased. If the low-carbon vision is to be achieved, it requires a comprehensive climate policy."

The report gives examples of the benefits of better climate policy.

Where previously climate change has "largely been perceived just in terms of restrictions and limitation on economic activity", many countries are now redefining it in terms of "innovation possibilities, business opportunities and potential profits" and better policy can maximise that potential, it says.

PEER is made up of seven of Europe's biggest environmental research institutes. To read the full report, click here

Feed-In Tariffs receive muted welcome

Plans to reward eco-friendly householders for the green energy that their solar panels produce have received a muted welcome.

The clean energy cashback plan, known as "feed-in tariffs", offers incentives from April for those who install small scale renewables on their homes. The government claims one in 10 homeowners could fit panels or small wind turbines by 2020.But the scheme has been criticised as not generous enough.

Payments

The UK gets about 5.5% of its electricity from renewable sources and, in order to hit green targets in 10 years' time, this would have to rise to 30%. Under the programme, people will be paid a fixed rate by their energy provider for electricity from small renewable power sources. They could also save money on their bills.

Homeowners who install photovoltaic panels could earn £900 a year when they first put in the technology, along with saving £140 a year on their bills, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said.

Renewable energy groups suggest people will have a 5% to 8% rate of return on their initial green investment for up to 25 years, although this technology remains relatively expensive to install.

Solar panels and wind turbines of up to five megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if the homeowners used it themselves.

"The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past," said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

However, the cost of the scheme will come from higher charges for other customers who do not fit renewable energy sources. The typical customer will face an extra £11 on their annual bill by 2020, DECC said.

'Lack of incentive'

While many consumer groups have welcomed the move, they have also criticised the level of incentive payments provided under the scheme.

Different types of "green energy" suit different locations

"Ministers have been far too timid with a policy that could make a significant contribution to cutting emissions and boosting energy security," said Dave Timms, of Friends of the Earth.

The Solar Trade Association said the rate of return was half of that seen under other schemes.

And Liz Laine, of watchdog Consumer Focus, said that the scheme could help people make big savings and cut carbon emissions, but more ambitious targets were needed from the government.

"It needs to offer more attractive cashback rates to overcome the cost-barrier of installing this technology and provide better information and advice to consumers," she said.

Proposals for a second incentive scheme for renewable heat, which will pay people to install technology such as ground source heat pumps and biomass boilers, have also been published. Details will be published in the 2010 Budget.  

Worst-case scenario for climate change disaster.

The world is now firmly on course for the worst-case scenario in terms of climate change.

Average global temperatures will rise by up to 6C by the end of the century, leading scientists said yesterday. Such a rise – which would be much higher nearer the poles – would have cataclysmic and irreversible consequences for the Earth, making large parts of the planet uninhabitable and threatening the basis of human civilisation.

We are headed for it, the scientists said, because the carbon dioxide emissions from industry, transport and deforestation which are responsible for warming the atmosphere have increased dramatically since 2002, in a way which no one anticipated, and are now running at treble the annual rate of the 1990s.

This means that the most extreme scenario envisaged in the last report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published in 2007, is now the one for which society is set, according to the 31 researchers from seven countries involved in the Global Carbon Project.