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Wind industry welcomes climate change report

BWEA, the UK's leading renewable energy trade body, today welcomed the publication of the Climate Change Committee's first report Building a Low Carbon Economy.

The report explains the case for the new 80% emissions reduction target and recommends the level for the first three national carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act.

The report also highlights the vital role that renewable energy will play over the next decade in tackling climate change. It stresses that wind power can deliver 30% of the UK's electricity supply by 2020 and be part of a radical decarbonisation of the economy by 2030.

Maria McCaffery MBE, BWEA Chief Executive, said "Renewable energy is not a luxury item. Without a dramatic change in the way we use and produce our energy we will not stop climate change."

The CCC calls for a 34% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, at the cost of less than 1% of GDP growth. The report recognises that higher renewable costs would be just one part of the impact, with greater spending on renewables offset by savings elsewhere. There are currently 3GW of installed wind schemes operating in the UK today, but a further 20GW are already at one stage or another of development.

McCaffery added "By 2020 there could be over 30GW of wind energy installed in the UK. This report should help to lay to rest the misconceptions and misinformation about the role and viability of wind power over the next decade and beyond."

- ENDS -

For more information:

Charles Anglin, BWEA Director of Communications, on 020 7689 1966 / 07956 859 749 or c.anglin@renewable-uk.com
Nick Medic, BWEA Communications Manager, 0207 689 1935 / 07977 019 933 or n.medic@renewable-uk.com

Notes to editors:

• The British Wind Energy Association is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with 453 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 wind industry is experiencing significant growth, three years ago in 2005 it reached 1 gigawatt of installed wind capacity, last month it passed the 3GW mark and within another three years it will achieve 8GW. Within 5 years wind is anticipated to overtake nuclear energy in terms of installed generating capacity.
• As of October 2008 there were just over 20GW worth of wind energy schemes at one stage or another in the development cycle.