Energy white paper ‘to be published this month’

The long-awaited energy white paper is due to be published before the end of this month, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) chief executive revealed at the launch of his body’s annual report on the UK’s progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Chris Stark told Utility Week at a press briefing that he understands the white paper, which was promised by business and energy secretary of state Greg Clark last year, will appear “this month”.

He added that the paper has been “framed” and tweaked to take account of the new 2050 net-zero emissions target, which was signed into law by the government at the end of last month.

“We expect it to set out a framework for what a sensible government would do about the net-zero target and the energy system”, he said.

Areas of policy that the white paper is expected to cover include the application of the RAB (regulated asset base) finance model, which has been used in a number of infrastructure projects – including the Thames Tideway Tunnel – and to nuclear power stations.

Overall, however, the CCC’s report finds that the government’s rhetoric on tackling climate change, notably its adoption of the 2050 net zero target, is not backed up by sufficient action.

It says the UK is not on track to meet current targets, which are designed to reduce carbon emissions to 80% of 1990 levels, let alone the more demanding ones that will be required to reach net zero.

In addition, existing policies and plans are insufficient to meet the fourth or fifth carbon budgets, which cover 2023-2027 and 2028-2032, with the gap widening over the past year due to increased projections of future emissions taking into account new findings about carbon losses from drying out peat soils.

Stark said: “The UK’s plans to reduce emissions are now insufficient and were insufficient at 80%.

“The gap between where we need to be and where we are has widened: it’s time to do something about this.”

Lord Deben, the CCC’s chair, warned that the government could be open to a legal challenge if it does not beef up its plans to match its statutory targets.

He said: “Unless it gets on course for the fourth and fifth carbon budgets, someone will decide to do that and I fear I might be first witness for the prosecution. You pass a law and you have to abide by it.”

Stark also warned that if the UK is off track on its climate change commitments it could face embarrassment if its bid to host next year’s UN COP climate change talks is successful.

“The UK does not have a set of plans that are in the right place so the credibility of the UK as host of the COP is at stake.”

Among the report’s recommendations are a call for net-zero policy to be embedded across all levels and departments of government, with strong leadership from the centre.

It urges the new prime minister to take the lead on the UK’s zero-carbons transition from day one by chairing regular meetings of a new Climate Cabinet including the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the secretaries of state of key departments.

“This needs to run through the government like a stick of rock,” said Stark.

The report also says Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) must set more ‘ambitious’ targets around water leakage and demand to reduce the consumption from 140 litres per person to 100 litres per day.

The report criticises the BEIS (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) department for being too slow to develop plans for carbon capture and storage and holding back deployment of onshore wind farms.

And it urges the planned phase out of sales of new diesel and petrol car and vans should be brought forward from 2040 to “closer to 2030”.