HC Deb 15 October 2002 vol 390 cc675-6W
Tony Baldry

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Government will make on a timetable to phase in a substantial increase on renewable energy agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development; and how this will relate to the 2015 millennium development goals. [74619]

Mr. Wilson

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Government supported the European Union proposal that renewables should contribute 15 per cent. of total energy use by 2010, but, in the event, no specific timetable for the expansion of renewables was agreed. All parties nevertheless accepted the urgent need to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global mix.

The Government's Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) will help developing countries limit greenhouse gas emissions by making available at least £50 million of cover for creditworthy exports from April 2003 in the renewable energy sector. The ECGD will participate in an outreach programme, run by DTI's Trade Promoters and the private sector, to stimulate exports of renewable energy goods to emerging markets to help overcome the low level of renewables applications.

The UK initiated the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), which aims to foster international collaboration in order to accelerate the growth of markets in modern renewables and energy efficiency, so as to lower costs and facilitate the removal of other policy, technology, mark et and regulatory barriers. We launched this in Johannesburg, and in the coming months the UK Government shall be working to develop this in conjunction with other partners including the Governments of Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and New Zealand, as well as Shell, the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy and WWF. The REEEP will work to keep renewable energy and energy efficiency high on the global political agenda.

The Government's renewable energy policy will contribute to section IV of the United Nations Millennium Declaration "Protecting our common environment", to support sustainable development, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and lessen the threat that diminishing resources will no longer meet the needs of future generations. As the REEEP objective for lowering the costs of renewable energy is achieved, renewable energy technologies will become more affordable energy options for the poor. This will contribute towards improving access to energy services, which is important to achieving the Millennium Development Goals including the halving of global poverty by 2015.

Domestically, the Government has set a target of obtaining 10 per cent. of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Sourcing 10 per cent. of electricity from renewable sources could result in annual savings of around 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2010. The Renewables Obligation, which came into force on 1 April 2002, will provide the driving force for the expansion of renewable energy in the UK. Licensed electricity suppliers will be required to obtain specified proportions of their electricity from renewable sources. The proportion will rise each year to reach the 10 per cent. target by 2010.

Increasing the market share of renewable energy is currently being considered in the context of the work being undertaken for the Government's forthcoming White Paper on the UK's future energy policy. This will be published around the start of 2003.