Cumbria LEP welcomes Powering our Net Zero Future
Rebecca Weston, Chair of Cumbria LEP’s Clean Energy Sector Panel
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) has welcomed the publication of Government’s Energy White Paper – Powering our Net Zero Future, which outlines ambitious plans to transform the UK’s energy system away from fossil fuels and support up to 220,000 British jobs at the same time as keeping bills affordable. The White Paper provides the UK’s route to achieving net zero by 2050.
The Energy White Paper provides the detail on the steps needed to deliver the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. It outlines the approach that the Government will take over the next decade to cut emissions from industry, transport, and buildings by 230 million metric tonnes, the equivalent to taking 7.5 million petrol cars off the road permanently, while supporting 220,000 green jobs.
Government believes that the UK’s shift away from fossil fuels will boost competition in the energy retail market and tackle the ‘loyalty penalty,’ that longstanding customers face, given that they often pay more than new customers. Importantly, it outlines often paying more than new ones – and commits to provide at least £6.7 billion of support for those on lower incomes.
It also details that the UK will establish its own Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) from 1 January 2021 to replace the current EU ETS at the end of the Transition Period. It increases the ambition of the EU system to reducing emissions and provides continuation of emissions trading for UK businesses providing greater certainty on how they operate and invest in low carbon technologies.
The full Energy White Paper can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-white-paper-powering-our-net-zero-future
Dr Rebecca Weston, Chair of CLEP’s Clean Energy Sector Panel and Chief Operating Officer at Sellafield Ltd, said: “The publication of the Energy White Paper is very much welcomed here in Cumbria, given our clean energy generation potential and wider commitment to the decarbonisation of the business base. It helpfully provides further detail on the priorities outlined in the 10 Point Plan and commits to transforming the energy system, leading a green recovery and creating a fair deal for consumers.
“The Energy White paper has been eagerly awaited and I now look forward to working with all of our partners to turn the ambitions within it to reality. We are well placed to take forward new opportunities in a range of technologies including offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen. Importantly, it will give businesses the signals that they need to invest with confidence.
“The Local Industrial Strategy prioritised the clean energy agenda and more recently in our “Restart, Reboot, Rethink” recovery plan it is one of our six rethink themes. These themes are focused on those issues where Cumbria has a strong competitive advantage and on which there is a strong fit with Government policy and investment.”