DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (Foresight SEMBE
261108) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 26 November 2008
Moves towards
sustainable energy in the UK are being hampered by old ways of
thinking according to a major new report published today by
Foresight, the Government's futures think tank.
The study 'Powering Our Lives: Sustainable Energy Management
and the Built Environment' looks at how the country's
buildings and spaces will need to evolve to help cut carbon emissions.
The report concludes that the UK is 'locked-in' to
using certain forms of energy not because they are better but
because they have historically dominated over other options. This
has created significant inertia because using a new form of energy
also means changes in the infrastructure and the regulations to
support it.
Professor John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific
Adviser and Director of the Foresight Programme, said:
"The energy used to power buildings is responsible for over
50 per cent of UK carbon emissions. Urgent action needs to be
taken if we are going to meet the 80 per cent emissions target
outlined by the Government in the Climate Change Bill.
"We need to think again about how we produce and use energy
and this report explores the link between the energy we use to
power our lives and the places we use it in. Today's study
offers a range of proposals for Government to consider on energy
production while giving food for thought to all of us about the
energy we use".
The report, sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local
Government (CLG), concludes that there is no 'magic
bullet' to reduce carbon emissions or 'decarbonise'
the energy we use. However, it does propose behavioural and
regulatory changes which could be introduced over the next 50
years, to overcome this inertia.
Three keys areas for change are:
Upgrading of buildings and spaces to be more carbon
neutral
Urgent attention is needed to improve the energy
performance of existing buildings - although targets have been set
for new homes it is estimated nearly 70 per cent of housing stock
in 2050 will have been built before 2000.
'MOT tests' to annually assess the energy efficiency of
buildings could be a useful tool to make households and firms
think about energy performance on a regular basis rather than
ignoring it.
A move to decentralised energy systems
Decentralised energy
is energy generated closer to the place where it is used, so that
any losses in transmission of electricity or heat are reduced. It
can mean a solar hot water panel on a house, a combined heat and
power system for a block of flats, or a larger power plant in a
city centre or a rural area. The report calls for the provision of
more varied, decentralised energy options to expand the use of
renewable energy.
Human behaviours in the built environment
Human behaviour
determines energy use as much as building design. People have not
yet responded at the scale and pace needed to meet future
emissions targets -the benefits for doing so need to be made clear
and incentives offered.
Professor Beddington added:
"Homes built in the future will be more carbon neutral,
however the vast majority of buildings pre-date our awareness of
emissions and climate change - these are where quick-wins can be achieved.
"Bringing older housing stock's energy efficiency up to
standard should be a priority - providing the right incentives and
support are offered to encourage homeowners, business, housing
authorities and local government to change their thinking".
Margaret Beckett, Minister for Housing, who is the report's
Ministerial sponsor, said:
"Given our buildings are responsible for almost half of the
UK's carbon emissions, we need to be taking action now if we
are to succeed in hitting our targets.
"Today's report provides valuable advice on the roles
both Government and the general public can play in tackling one of
the most pressing issues facing the entire world."
Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, said:
"The Government has set a target for reducing our greenhouse
gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, and central to that goal is
greening the energy we use in our homes and becoming more energy efficient.
"We will be building on current policies supporting
individuals and communities as they develop secure, low-carbon
energy supplies and retrofit buildings. Already, we're
introducing legislation to provide real incentives for those
installing small scale renewable electricity and heat technologies.
"This report makes a valuable contribution to the debate."
The two year project has involved over 150 experts from areas
including economics, energy technologies, planning, construction,
and social sciences.
As the project's sponsor, CLG will now take responsibility
for the report's findings to assist in policy development
across government. A report in 12 months time will outline the
project's progress including action by other stakeholders.
Notes to editors
1) Download the full report at http://www.foresight.gov.uk
(only available from Wednesday 26 November). Embargoed copies are
available to the media on request.
2) Foresight is part of the Government Office for Science (GO
Science). Its function is to help Government think systematically
about the future. Foresight uses the latest scientific and other
evidence to provide signposts for policymakers in tackling future challenges.
3) Foresight reports do not constitute Government policy. Rather,
they are intended to inform the strategic and long-term choices
facing Government departments, business and us all. The rolling
programme of projects is selected by Foresight following wide
stakeholder consultation. The projects run for 18 months to 2
years and include 3 main stages: scoping; developing the evidence
base; and providing a series of policy options after analysing how
the issue will change in the future. Once a project is agreed, the
department with the greatest policy interest in the project is
invited to become the sponsoring department and nominate one of
its ministers to chair the High Level Stakeholder Group.
4) The Department for Communities and Local Government is the
Government department responsible for housing policy, including
tackling the long-term shortage of homes and developing a greener
and more sustainable approach to building new homes.
5) The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created
in October 2008. It reflects the fact that climate change and
energy policies are inextricably linked - two thirds of our
emissions come from the energy we use. Decisions in one field
cannot be made without considering the impacts in the other. DECC
has three priorities: ensuring our energy is secure, affordable
and efficient; bringing about the transition to a low-carbon
Britain; and achieving an international agreement on climate
change in Copenhagen in December 2009.
6) For further enquires, please contact the GO Science Press
Office on 0203 300 8126.
ENDS