Nick Wood-Dow runs Westminster Briefing on Climate Change
20 October 2011
Nick Wood-Dow, Chelgate’s Deputy Chairman, today chaired a Westminster briefing focusing on adaption by local councils to climate change. The main speaker in the morning session was DECC’s Trevor Hutchings.
Hutchings said that it is imperative to tackle environmental and economic challenges ahead. Energy efficiency measures will pay back time and again. UK firms should embrace this.
The carbon budgets will set five year caps on carbon emissions. Heat must change as the heating of homes drives climate change. By 2019 smart meters will be rolled out.
Hutchings reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Renewable Heat Incentive – the “world’s first”. He said the Electricity Market Reform proposals would be key to bringing in investment.
There are three things a council can do, he said:
- Cut its own emissions, as Whitehall has been aiming to do. Whitehall emissions are now down 14% , with the aim of a 25% reduction this Parliament
- Look at their spending in light of the carbon emissions it may generate
- Help all they can to roll out national government programmes such as the Green Deal
