Government unveils Clean Growth Strategy
In October, Claire Perry MP the minister of state for climate change and industry, introduced the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy document. The Strategy has been developed as part of the UK’s obligations under the Climate Change Act.
The Strategy sets out how the UK intends to cut emissions, increase efficiency and lower the costs of energy to businesses and consumers. On introducing the document, Perry noted that it is: “Ambitious, broad and binding.”
There are 50 major policies and plans outlined in the document. Many of these focus on issues that are familiar to the building services sector. The report states early on that: “Heating in buildings and industry creates around 32% of total UK emissions.”
At the launch, Perry highlighted: “For businesses, the largest pool of contributors to emissions, we will help them improve how they use their energy, aiming to increase their energy productivity by at least 20% by 2030, saving business £6 billion.”
Homes are also targeted, with the aim of every home in the country to have a minimum EPC rating of C by 2035. Also, £3.6 billion is set aside to upgrade around a million homes through the Energy Company Obligation by 2020, which is now extended to 2028. As already reported, Government will also continue to support the RHI.
The Clean Growth Strategy outlines a number of steps that Government intends to take, including:
• Set up a Green Finance Taskforce to recommend how to deliver public and private investment required to deliver the plan.
• Develop measures to support businesses to improve their energy productivity by at least 20% by 2030. This includes a consultation on how to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing commercial buildings.
• Simplify requirements for businesses to measure and report on energy use.
• Roll out low carbon heating with support for heat networks and phase out the use of fossil fuels for homes that are off the gas grid.
• Improve standards on the 1.2 million boilers installed every year – and require installation of controls to help energy efficiency.
The full document can be downloaded from the link below.
