UK Targets and Goal
The UK’s Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) was launched in July 2009. The strategy outlines how the UK aims to move towards generating 15% of its energy (including electricity, heat and transport) from renewable sources by 2020.
According to UK government research, the benefits of meeting the proposed 15% renewables target include:
- Carbon saving
Estimated at 750 Mt reduction in UK CO2 emissions between now and 2030 - Gas imports
Decrease of 20-30% by 2020 - Economic benefits
Including business opportunities and up to 500,000 jobs
How to meet the target
The Government has highlighted that a key issue in helping to hit the target will be reducing energy demand and the amount of energy required overall.
The UK Government has suggested how much of the remaining energy might be generated from renewables sources across the 3 main sectors:
- Electricity >30%
Currently less than 6% - Heat - 11%
Currently less than 1% - Transport - 10%
Currently less than 3%
Electricity
The following issues have been identified as vital to stimulate sufficient renewable electricity:
- Better planning
Faster planning decisions for large renewable energy projects, via an Infrastructure Planning Commission. - Connecting to the grid
Increased grid coverage and faster provision of grid connections for new renewable energy projects. - Financial incentives
Extending and increasing such incentives, principally through the Renewables Obligation for large scale renewables. - Obligation to buy
Create a feed-in tariff by April 2010, which would introduce an obligation for energy suppliers to buy energy from microrenewables. (See DECC consultation)
The Carbon Trust believes that offshore wind can deliver up to 4.5% out of the 15% overall renewable energy strategy target. More information can be found in our offshore wind report.
Heat
The Government proposes the following actions to stimulate renewable heat:
- Incentives
New incentives could provide the financial stimulus for new renewable heat deployment, via a Renewable Heat Incentive in place by April 2011. (See DECC website) - Barriers and constraints
Addressing any factors which limit the potential to increase renewable heat deployment.
Transport
In response to increasing concerns about the land-use change effects of biofuels, the Government commissioned the Gallagher Review to recommend whether any policy changes were appropriate. Whilst the target of 10% renewable transport energy by 2020 has been retained, interim targets up to 2013/14 have been reduced to allow for a transition to more sustainable fuels.
The Government has identified five areas as important to stimulating renewable transport:
- Sustainability
Agreeing robust criteria for all biofuel use - Adapting the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO)
Incentives should be provided for greater levels of renewable energy in transport - Biofuel development
Facilitation of the development of 2nd and 3rd-generation biofuels - Extending biofuel use
Rail transport and shipping should use biofuels, so far as is sustainable - Alternative technologies
Other sources of transport energy - such as electric or hydrogen cars – should be explored
More information