Date:              24 April 2008
Embargo:       None

ESA responds to heat strategy

ESA has welcomed the Government’s intention to implement a new heat strategy for the UK, something which is particularly important in the context of the European Commission’s proposals for 20% of EU primary energy demand to be met from renewable sources by 2020, and also the requirement that member states reduce carbon emissions by 20% by the same date.

In responding to the consultation, issued jointly by Defra, DCLG and BERR, ESA stressed that heat recovered from waste fuels could provide an important contribution as part of an overall technology mix which could help to deliver these targets, while at the same time contributing towards meeting the UK’s landfill diversion requirements as set out in the EU Landfill Directive. ESA argued that the Renewables Obligation (RO) has proven to be inappropriate for delivering waste-fired CHP schemes, and that some form of alternative support scheme which targets renewable heat specifically is likely to be necessary to deliver any new capacity.

ESA urged BERR to introduce a policy framework for heat which provides a long term robust carbon price signal to stimulate demand for low carbon heat sources, and which at the same time addresses non-market constraints, particularly planning which has consistently proven to be the most difficult barrier to rapidly deploy appropriate technologies, including energy from waste facilities.

ESA supported the inclusion of emissions from all heat use in a carbon market, arguing that the current plethora of overlapping policy instruments affecting carbon, such as the proposed Carbon Reduction Commitment, lack transparency and fail to implement a consistent carbon price across the economy.

ENDS