Britain is falling behind on its commitments to meet its 2020 renewable
energy targets, while the European Union overall remains on track,
according to a report by Reuters.
Targets are set by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, introduced in 2009.
The United Kingdom is expected to provide 30% electricity, 12% heat, and
10% transport from renewables by 2020.
But in September 2016, the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee in
the Westminster parliament report argued that the UK is currently not on
track to meet its overall target, and estimated that the country is less
than half way towards meeting the 12% heat goal. The amount of renewable
fuel in the transport fuel has been capped at 4.75%.
Other nations identified by the Commission as falling behind are Luxembourg
and Ireland.
Dr. Nina Skorupska CBE, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy
Association, commented: “This is a wake-up call to our Government, which
for the past two years has introduced policy changes that have slowed
deployment of renewables in the heat, transport, and power sectors.
“Our progress towards these targets to date has helped create a
multibillion pound industry that in 2014 to 2015 employed nearly 117,000 in
the UK.
“While it appears that UK is on track to meet our power targets, we are
seriously falling behind in the heat and transport sectors. The Government
should take immediate steps to remove the roadblocks to further renewable
energy deployment.
“The Department for Transport should accelerate the timing of the 9.75% of
renewables in the fuel mix. Increasing the cap on crops in the production
of biofuels, including grasses that help replenish soil health, would make
this more achievable.
“In heat, the Government’s recent reform of the Renewable Heat Incentive
has stilted the growth of much of the biomass sector.
“Further renewable electricity deployment can help ease the burden on the
heat and transport sectors. This can be quickly and cheaply done by
re-allowing solar PV and onshore wind to compete in government auctions,
and allowing for the further conversion of old coal stations to run on
biomass is another affordable, sustainable, and rapid option.”
The Energy and Climate Change Committee’s report (September 2016) 2020
renewable heat and transport targets can be found at
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmenergy/173/173.pdf
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