20/04/2021

Prime Minister’s new emissions target means ramping up renewables

20 April 2021 - RenewableUK press release


Welcoming the announcement by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirming that the UK is setting an emissions reduction target of 78% by 2035, RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn said:


“It’s right for the UK to secure its position as a world leader on climate change by stepping up our emissions reduction target in the run-up to the UN summit in Glasgow this year.


“As a next step, to ensure we achieve our ambitions, and to galvanise industry investment, we need to see a specific commitment by Government to decarbonise the electricity sector by 100% by 2035, in line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations. This means setting ambitious deployment targets for onshore wind as well as offshore, alongside innovative technologies like floating wind, wave and tidal energy and renewable hydrogen, as every tool in the box has a vital role to play.   


“To ramp up renewable energy development, we also need to see renewable energy projects being consented in a more timely manner, so we’re calling for Ministers to put more financial resources into the expert bodies which rigorously scrutinise new applications. And critically, we need to accelerate work on upgrading the electricity grid to allow us to maximise the benefits of renewable power for consumers”.


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Notes


RenewableUK’s members are building our future energy system, powered by clean electricity. We bring them together to deliver that future faster; a future which is better for industry, billpayers, and the environment. We support over 400 member companies to ensure increasing amounts of renewable electricity are deployed across the UK and to access export markets all over the world. Our members are business leaders, technology innovators, and expert thinkers from right across industry.


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