Search: go

News

Wind industry to agree new CO2 reduction figures with Advertising Standards Authority

Tuesday 15 October 2007

BWEA, the UK's leading renewable energy body is taking steps to agree national standards for the wind industry's carbon offset figures. This follows a ruling last week from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which overturned figures that had been previously agreed between the industry and the Authority.

BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery said "The industry has been pro-actively working with the ASA since the Summer to agree a robust and verifiable set of figures, as well as an agreed methodology so that the new figures can be regularly updated in future."

The ASA found that BWEA member company npower had breached its rules by using a figure of 860 g/kWh for CO2 displacement for its proposed new Batsworthy Cross wind farm. This figure had previously been agreed between the ASA and BWEA, and previous ASA adjudications had accepted the figure. In overturning the figure the ASA found that the company had acted in good faith in producing its publicity material.

For more information please contact:

Charles Anglin, Director of Communications BWEA, on 020 7689 1966 / 0797 348 1907 or charles@bwea.com

Notes to Editors

BWEA is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with over 350 corporate members, BWEA is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK.

Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change.

The ASA ruling stated "We noted that Npower had followed previously accepted advice and used the 860 g CO2/kWh figure. Although we welcomed their efforts to ensure that their claim was based on an established figure, we nonetheless considered that that figure was no longer representative of the UK electricity generating mix."