TMP Online

Our centralised power system is massively wasteful, so lets stop arguing about nuclear or non-nuclear and start to open our market to the full range of competitive alternatives says TMP environmental columnist, Hugh Goulbourne.

It has been disappointing to read recent articles by ‘green energy campaigners’ criticising the Government and civil service for their over-commitment to nuclear power. As a keen advocate of all forms of low-CO2 energy and energy efficiency, I am of course sympathetic to the argument that the UK needs to do more to support sustainable forms of energy. However, the debate must move beyond endless criticism of the Government’s review of nuclear and instead focus on how the industry and Government can together deliver the 20% of renewables, 20% reduction of CO2 emissions and eradication of fuel poverty within the next decade.

Contrary to much speculation, the government has now firmly committed itself to going most of the way towards meeting the UK’s 2020 EU target for a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and an increase to 20% of energy (heat, power and transport) from renewables. A new generation of nuclear power plants will not be able to contribute to any of these targets. The planned redevelopment will only replace existing capacity and, therefore, cannot supplement either the CO2 or the renewables target (even if as has been suggested it were to be re-categorised as a renewable source). Furthermore, they will not come online before 2025, this according to figures supplied by the DBERR in the 2006 Energy Review.

All of us in the ‘green energy movement, should therefore recognise this as a moment in which government is keen to engage and find solutions to its pressing targets. Key to this is identifying the reforms of the regulatory and fiscal structures that provide the DNA to our energy market and generating systems.

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On the eve of the publication of the Energy White Paper, TMP environment columnist, Hugh Goulbourne, argues that it is the poorest who will suffer from environmental degredatiom if we do not face up to climate change issues.

Gordon Brown launched his bid for the leadership of the Labour Party and the country last week. One of his key campaign announcements was the promise to invest in building sustainable and affordable eco homes.

This promise, which is embedded with the principles of social justice, should come as welcome news to all progressives. Not only will it provide the poorest in our society with much needed housing, but it will also contribute to the fight against climate change and environmental injustice.

Environmental injustice is endemic in our society, where disadvantaged communities suffer the most from poor environmental policies. Climate change is an important example of this. Its effects are likely to damage developing countries much more than industrialised nations. Yet it is those of us in the richer industrialised countries who are using far more than our fair share of resources - about three quarters of the emissions which cause climate change come from the developed countries.

This dynamic is replicated in the UK itself, where statistics show that poor communities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental risk. For example, higher levels of pollution from factories are found in areas of poverty. Similarly, despite low levels of car ownership, pollution from motorised traffic is much more concentrated in deprived inner-city areas than in the leafy suburbs.

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