Briefing Note to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change - Essay Example

Briefing to the Secretary of for Energy and Climate Change al Affiliation Briefing to the Secretary of for Energy and Climate Change Introduction In light of the climate change patterns and the ever-increasing energy demand in the UK, the UK government is tasked with creating Energy Bills and Legislations that help in the protection of the environment as well as ensuring that the energy needs of the population are met. While previous energy bills and legislations have helped in the realization of the above functions, they have not been effective creating a need for the introduction of a new bill that addresses the needs of the market and environmental needs. What previous Energy Bills have included/ Excluded Energy policy in the United Kingdom has relied on the provisions of the Energy White Paper of 2007, Energy White Paper of 2003, the Energy Review Report of 2006 and the Low Carbon Transition Plan of July 2009 Previous energy Bills in the United Kingdom have contributed to sustainable use of energy through various means. The energy laws have helped to regulate the taxation and use of energy in terms of both renewable and non-renewable energy. They have provided the legal provisions that have regulation extraction of energy resources, manufacturing, transportation and selling of energy products in the country (Makuch & Pereira, 2012). This means that the energy marketers and distributors in the country operate within limits of energy laws ensuring that they do not exploit citizens or overuse energy resources that could lead to environmental problems and energy depletion. Previous laws have helped in the above issues as energy use has increased over the years as shown in the chart below Energy use in the UK from 1990-2010 An important aspect of the previous energy laws and bills is that they have helped in providing an environment that provides for competition in the energy sector among energy firms, both large and small. This has helped in stabilizing prices of energy products for the consumer because the competition has ensured that companies provide competitive prices to woo consumers to buy their brands. The energy laws recognize that energy is required in all sectors of the economy and takes into account issues of production and distribution of various forms of energy and future requirements of the same. The challenges that the previous energy bulls have failed to address include Disruptive events such as industrial action and severe weather Rising dependence on imported energy Global competition for energy because of demand and supply constraints. What criticisms have been made of previous energy bills? Previous energy bills in the UK have met several criticisms with regard to a variety of issues. First, UK energy bills have been criticised for encouraging waste of energy. Energy laws in UK have been insufficient in ensuring that it meets the standards of the EU energy-saving laws. The main reason for this has been poor implementation of the bills put in place to provide for energy conservation. In a research conducted on UK’s energy-saving initiatives, it was found out that the country has lagged behind and in fact raised the energy saving obligations by 7 percent. The UK is one of the countries in the EU that is consuming large amounts of energy compared to other countries and this is the main reason for the high European carbon emission rates. The chart below shows a comparison of energy use in selected EU countries showing that the UK is the country that uses renewable energy at a very low rate. Share of different sources in the energy mix in selected EU nations The UK laws emphasize on efficiency, but leave out issues of sustainability showing the weaknesses of the energy laws. The UK energy bills have also not addressed issues of green energy leaving out such an important source of energy that could offer significant help in overall energy saving in the country. The bills can only be effective if issues of sustainability are addressed ((Heffron, 2015). What EU / International legislation needs to be met? As a member of the European Union, the UK needs to ensure that its laws are consistent with the laws set by the European Union. First, the new energy bill should be consistent with the 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive that provides a set of binding measures that help the EU as a region to realize its 20 percent energy efficiency target by the year 2020. As a member, UK should ensure that the new bill fits into this vision by providing guidelines to ensure energy efficient initiatives are introduced (Energy Efficiency Directive, 2015). To meet this legislation, the new bill should Provide guidelines for energy distributors to achieve 1.5 percent energy saving annually Provide guidelines for energy saving alternatives such as insulating roofs and efficiency of heating systems. Empower citizens for efficient consumption of energy Provide national incentives for small and medium sized companies to perform energy audits and, Provide guidelines on energy consumption and monitoring efficiency in new energy generating initiatives The most up to date science on climate change To effectively respond to the energy challenges and meet the needed energy efficiency levels, the new law should emphasize on the use of up-to-date science on climate change. The law has to capture the current science and technology tools and information dedicated to understanding climate change so that it can offer the required guidelines on how energy production, use and conservation can be effected. Some of up-to-date science and technology tools and information on climate change include nuclear science and technology that offers an alternative energy source to avoid over-reliance on natural energy resources that cause climate change. Isotopic techniques are used to quantify the carbon in the ocean and sedimentation rates (Great Britain & Great Britain, 2013). Therefore, the new energy bill should recognize these science initiatives and provide room for improvement of science and technology meant to address climate change. What new technologies exist that could provide solutions to previous problems The energy sector has to adopt new technology to avoid over-reliance on few energy sources to enable sustainability initiatives and energy conservation be successful. The use of technologies such as carbon capture is essential to ensure that the effect of excessive carbon in the environment is addressed. This can also be helpful in making the use of coal efficient because coal is cheap and easy to find. Wind turbines also offer a cleaner energy source and offers future prospects into cleaner energy initiatives. Solar power is also an option that should be considered as a source of energy to supplement the other sources. Therefore, the new bill should provide guidelines for the use of these technologies and make it possible for research into new technologies that can be developed to make the energy sector efficient (Heffron, 2015). What the key priorities are that the new bill should address The new energy bill must address the energy needs of the country as well as contribute to overall energy conservation initiatives in the EU region and throughout the world. In this regard therefore, there are key priorities that it should focus on, including: First, the law should establish a framework for the use of emerging technologies and services that respond to low carbon and low energy waste imperative. It should emphasize on the use of renewable energy It should support the established energy initiatives that are developed to ensure energy conservation and protection of the environment occurs It should also develop regulatory, financial and structural frameworks that will guide the energy sector towards the realization of the set visions. It should also provide a framework that encourages continuous research into safe, cheap and renewable energy initiatives. In conclusion, the new energy bill must address the current challenges faced by the UK energy sector and offer solutions to these challenges. It should also provide a framework of a future energy sector that meets the demands of the country as well as address issues of conservation and efficient use. The new energy bill offers an insight to future energy production, use and conservation in the UK. References Energy Efficiency Directive. (2015). Retrieved from ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy- efficiency/energy-efficiency-directive Great Britain. & Great Britain. (2013). No country is an energy island: Securing investment for the EUs future: 14th report of session 2012-13. London: Stationery Office. Heffron, R. J. (2015). Energy law: An introduction. London: Springer Makuch, K. E., & Pereira, R. (2012). Environmental and energy law. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley Blackwell. Read More