Category: Environment

  • Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Statement on the Contracts for Difference Scheme

    Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Statement on the Contracts for Difference Scheme

    The statement made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2022.

    Since 2014 the contracts for difference scheme has been at the heart of our efforts to diversify and decarbonise our power system. Since 2010 we have increased the percentage of power generated from renewables from 7% to 43%, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and bringing new industries to our former industrial heartlands.

    To date contracts for difference has awarded contracts totalling almost 16GW of new renewable electricity capacity across multiple technologies. Since the first competitive allocation round (AR1), it has contributed to a more than 60% reduction in the per unit price of offshore wind, with substantial benefits for consumers. We opened our latest allocation round (AR4) on 13 December 2021. It is our largest yet, with an ambition to procure more new generating capacity than the last three rounds combined.

    We want to further accelerate our low carbon power generation, making the UK less reliant on volatile fossil fuels and creating more home-grown power. This will help us to deliver a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035.

    To do this we set out an ambition to accelerate the deployment of low-cost renewable generation by undertaking a review of the frequency of the contracts for difference allocation rounds. The review of allocation round frequency has now concluded.

    I have decided to increase the frequency of the allocation rounds to every year, from around every two years as it is currently. The next allocation round, AR5, will be brought forward to March 2023 and it is our intention that the subsequent allocation rounds will be held every 12 months in the following years.

    In parallel, we have recently opened a consultation on changes to make AR5 more effective and forward-looking, particularly on the application process for supply chain plans.

    Our review suggests that the move to more frequent contracts for difference allocation rounds is overwhelmingly supported by industry. Increasing the frequency of allocation rounds will help to encourage low carbon electricity generation, which may also encourage investment in supply chains, and benefit the UK in the longer term not least by protecting consumers from potentially volatile global markets.

    These more frequent rounds will also support the delivery of those renewable technologies, such as onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar PV, which are key to decarbonising the power sector, creating jobs and bringing even more investment to our former industrial heartlands. This will sit alongside the Government’s commitment to bring forward another large-scale nuclear power plant this Parliament.

    The contracts for difference scheme has been successful in deploying low-carbon generation and reducing the cost of capital for renewable technologies. As more renewables are added to the system, we will continue to consider how the scheme could evolve over the longer term to ensure it reflects the impact of renewables on the wider system, including total system costs.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2022 Comments about Housing Projects and the Environment

    Rebecca Pow – 2022 Comments about Housing Projects and the Environment

    The comments made by Rebecca Pow, the Environment Minister, on 10 January 2022.

    The pandemic has reinforced how much our homes, communities and outdoor spaces mean to us. Our commitment to protecting and enhancing our natural world can and must go hand in hand with our ambition to build more high quality homes.

    Our plans to make sure new developments better protect and enhance wildlife and nature will create better places for people to live and work, and it will ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.

  • George Eustice – 2022 Comments on Restoring Habitats

    George Eustice – 2022 Comments on Restoring Habitats

    The comments made by George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, on 6 January 2022.

    We want to see profitable farming businesses producing nutritious food, underpinning a growing rural economy, where nature is recovering and people have better access to it.

    Through our new schemes, we are going to work with farmers and land managers to halt the decline in species, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, increase woodland, improve water and air quality and create more space for nature.

    We are building these schemes together, and we are already working with over 3,000 farmers across the sector to test and trial our future approach. Farmers will be able to choose which scheme or combination of schemes works best for their business, and we will support them to do so.

  • Wensum Woodlanders – 2021 Comments on Ordnance Survey Advance Mapping of Controversial Western Link Road

    Wensum Woodlanders – 2021 Comments on Ordnance Survey Advance Mapping of Controversial Western Link Road

    The comments made on Twitter by the Wensum Woodlanders pressure group in Norfolk on 29 December 2021. The comments were made after Ordnance Survey put the future road on their mapping.

    It might seem innocuous, just a bit of future mapping, but it creates a false impression of the planning status, and one that might influence public opinion ahead of a public consultation. Very poor of @OrdnanceSurvey – they need to hold their horses and remove this mapping!

  • George Eustice – 2021 Comments on Investment in Fisheries

    George Eustice – 2021 Comments on Investment in Fisheries

    The comments made by George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, on 27 December 2021.

    A year on from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, a positive picture is emerging for our fishing industry.

    Today, we are announcing a £65 million infrastructure scheme which will allow us to modernise ports and harbours and increase capacity and efficiency at processing facilities. A £10 million fund will encourage new entrants into the processing, catching and aquaculture sectors, and train and upskill those in the industry.

    We are committed to levelling up coastal communities across the UK, and this marks a period of rejuvenation for our fishing industry.

  • George Eustice – 2021 Comments on EU-UK Fisheries Agreement

    George Eustice – 2021 Comments on EU-UK Fisheries Agreement

    The comments made by George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, on 22 December 2021.

    We have now concluded negotiations with the EU, setting catch levels for 2022. As an independent coastal State, we entered discussions representing the interests of the entire UK fishing industry and have secured certainty for the incoming year.

    The balanced agreement made today provides a strong foundation as we seek to deliver more sustainable fisheries management, as set out in our landmark Fisheries Act.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2021 Comments on Retail Sale of Peat

    Rebecca Pow – 2021 Comments on Retail Sale of Peat

    The comments made by Rebecca Pow, the Environment Minister, on 19 December 2021.

    Our peatlands are an incredibly valuable natural resource. They play a crucial role in locking up carbon, provide habitats for wildlife and help with flood mitigation.

    The amateur gardening sector has made huge strides in reducing peat use and there are now more sustainable and good quality peat-free alternatives available than at any other time, so I am confident now is the right time to make the shift permanent.

    Today’s consultation directly contributes towards the Government’s net zero carbon emissions target. The protection of our peatlands will also help us deliver on commitments in the 25 Year Environment Plan whilst also preserving these landscapes for future generations.

  • Greg Hands – 2021 Comments on Biomass Projects

    Greg Hands – 2021 Comments on Biomass Projects

    The comments made by Greg Hands, the Energy and Climate Change Minister, on 20 December 2021.

    Developing greener fuels like biomass is key to helping the UK slash carbon emissions and drive down costs for consumers.

    This £26 million government investment will support innovators across the UK, boosting jobs and investment, and help ensure we have the homegrown supply we need to support our plans to build back greener and tackle climate change.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Sale of Compost

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Sale of Compost

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Environment Secretary, on 18 December 2021.

    The nature emergency demands action.

    Peatlands have suffered degradation for decades not just from being dug up to supply horticulture, but also by being drained and burned. Healthy peatlands – often called ‘Britain’s rainforests’ – support rich biodiversity, trap many times the carbon stored by forests, and help slow and prevent downstream flooding.

    But the Conservative Government have delayed and limited action, they have committed to protecting only 40% of England’s blanket bogs from rotational burning.

    On horticultural peat, gardening experts, conservationists and scientists have said the Government’s goal of a voluntary phaseout by 2020 was an ‘abject failure’, with the amount of peat sold actually rising as people turned to gardening in lockdown. That they are only just consulting on a ban lays bare their lack of commitment.

    In contrast to the Conservatives’ delay and empty promises, Labour has pledged a net zero and nature test for every policy, investing £28 billion of capital a year to 2030 to meet the challenge of the climate and nature emergency head on, create certainty for business and provide leadership to seize the opportunities for the UK.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Rewilding London

    Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on Rewilding London

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 13 December 2021.

    The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. In London, we need to take bold action to ensure that we not only halt the decline of biodiversity in our natural environment but pave the way for growth and change. That’s why I’ve announced my new Rewilding Fund, which will help restore the capital’s precious wildlife sites, improve biodiversity and ensure all Londoners have a thriving web of nature on their doorstep. And as part of our Green New Deal, we’re supporting young Londoners to gain the skills required for jobs that help secure a future for London’s natural environment.

    I am proud to have helped London to be recognised as the world’s first National Park City in 2019, and this funding shows my commitment to protecting that status and doing all I can to protect London’s amazing network of green spaces, rivers and natural habitats.