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CCC releases Fifth Carbon Budget

By: Tom Russell 26/11/2015 The CCC edited by 4C Offshore

General Windfarms

The Committee on Climate Change (the committee) announced it's proposals for the fifth carbon budget to the UK Government today. They stated that the Government should continue on the lowest-cost path towards the legal requirement to reduce UK emissions by at least 80% in 2050 on 1990 levels and that it should commit to an emissions reduction of 57% by 2028-2032.

The Committee said: "This reduction could be delivered by a range of different mixes of low-carbon generation (i.e. renewables, nuclear and plants fitted with carbon capture and storage – CCS) to reach a total share of around 75% of generation by 2030. It is important that the low-carbon portfolio includes roll-out in the 2020s of offshore wind and CCS given their long-term importance and the role of UK deployment in driving down costs."

The Committee stated that to keep within the emissions limits set by the fourth and fifth carbon budgets, and to stay on track to 2050, a number of new policies and clear long-term signals to investors are urgently required. They also outlined that low-carbon options in the power sector are important to support emissions reduction in other sectors, such as transport and heating, as well as to reduce emissions from the power sector itself.

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change,said: “The UK has been at the forefront of global action on climate change. As a nation, we have begun the transition towards a low-carbon economy. By legislating the fifth carbon budget at the recommended level, the Government will take the next important step. That will build on its commitment to the UK’s existing climate targets and send a clear signal to businesses and consumers that UK climate ambition remains on track through the 2020s and into the 2030s. This medium-term vision, balancing a range of considerations, helps to ensure the UK can continue to play its part at lowest cost to business and consumers while properly positioning our country for the environmental and economic realities that lie ahead.”

"it is hard to see how any of these renewable technologies will be able to progress "

Responding to the publication of the Committee on Climate Change's Fifth Carbon Budget, Scottish Renewables outlined that it is uncertain what support renewables will have in the future following the proposed cuts the Government have already made. They also highlighted that the Committee's announcement"contradicts" the DECC's statement that the cost of wind must go down for future support.

Jenny Hogan, Director of Policy at Scottish Renewables, said: “The publication of the Fifth Carbon Budget reaffirms what the Committee on Climate Change – the Government’s own advisors – have already said: the amount of renewable electricity generated in the UK must double by 2030 if we are to meet our legally-binding climate change targets.

“It is important to note that onshore wind and solar, our cheapest renewable energy technologies, play a significant role in all scenarios for our future energy mix, and must be included if we are to decarbonise at the lowest cost to the consumer.

“However it is hard to see how any of these renewable technologies will be able to progress given current uncertainty around future support for the sector from the very Government whose advisors are recommending their expansion.

“The report also contradicts the UK Government’s recent statement to only support the deployment of future offshore wind projects if they further reduce costs by an unspecified amount. The Committee clearly argues that it is UK deployment of offshore wind that drives down costs, not the other way around, and that the future energy mix should include the roll-out of offshore wind."

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CCC releases Fifth Carbon Budget

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