A Commitment to Low Carbon Electricity

I received the following e-mail from Greenpeace on a very important topic: the UK's commitment to reducing greenhouse has emissions in electricity generation. The draft Energy Bill does not yet have such a commitment so read on to find how you can help ensure it makes it into the final bill and please spread the word:

Hi EcoWarriorMe

This doesn’t happen every day. We have a chance to move away from dirty fossil fuels and set our country firmly on the path to a renewable, booming, low-carbon economy. In writing, by law.

Want in?Good. Tell your MP to support clean electricity in the Energy Bill.

A crucial ingredient of the government’s new Energy Bill was supposed to be a legally-binding target for the UK to produce almost zero carbon electricity by 2030.

This would be a huge win for household bills, our planet and common sense. But George Osborne is blocking it in favour of gas; the kind you get from fracking - a process which involves pumping chemicals into the ground to fracture gas-containing rocks.

At this critical point in our history, there’s no way we want the British countryside ‘fracked’ for dirty and expensive gas instead of a clean, renewable energy boom. Write to your MP today and ask them to show support for clean electricity.

This is our country’s chance to finally end our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity. The UK already has a leading edge on renewables: wind power has been growing by 50% year-on-year. [1]

Britain is now in prime position to become a world leader in the offshore wind industry. But instead Osborne and his allies are plotting to blast two-thirds of the English countryside to see their gas-fuelled nightmare come true.[2]

This is not something that might yet happen in the future. This is real, it's happening now and you can do something about it. Tell your MP to support clean jobs and clean electricity now, and cut our dependence on gas and other polluting fossil fuels.

This is winnable. Industry is with us: major clean energy companies like Siemens, Alstrom and Areva are lined up to invest in the UK if we get this commitment which would create thousands of jobs and get the economy going again.

This is bigger than party politics. Influential members of Osborne's own party agree with us. Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP leading the rebellion against Osborne said ‘[I] will not stand by and watch the wrong decisions being made on energy policy’. Now it’s our turn to show our support.

Let’s make this law do what it’s supposed to do, and change the future for our country.

Thanks,

Pete & the energy team Greenpeace

PS The Energy Bill will define where our electricity comes from for the next 30 years or more. Let's make sure it prioritises clean electricity over dirty, expensive gas. Tell your MP to support green jobs and clean energy now.

Notes

[1]“Britain's supply of green energy soars,” The Independent, 1 July 2012, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/britains-supply-of-green-energy-soars-7901917.html

[2]"Fracking in the UK" Greenpeace Energydesk 30th November 2012 http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/energy/data/infographic-fracking-backyard

This action is also supported by the campaign group 38 Degrees who had this to say:

Dear EcoWarriorMe,

Important news: we’ve got a fresh chance to scupper George Osborne’s climate-wrecking plot to boost the fossil fuel lobby. [1]

Last year, 38 Degrees members worked hard to stand up to George Osborne. We made a huge difference. [2] But in one key respect Osborne got his way: he managed to strike out a carbon-free electricity target from new draft energy laws.

But now, Tim Yeo MP, a high profile former Conservative environment minister, has tabled a vital "green jobs" amendment which would put the target back in. If we can get enough MPs to vote for this amendment, George Osborne has lost. But, most importantly, we’ll secure a huge win for our household bills, jobs and our planet.

So we need to move fast to push enough MPs to support it. Can you e-mail your MP urgently now? https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/green-amendment

To win, we need to get around 325 MPs to vote for the amendment – it'll be close, but with enough effort we've got a real shot. The amendment already has support from key MPs from each of the major parties signed up.

38 Degrees members, working together with green groups like Greenpeace, can make this happen. We need to work fast to make sure enough MPs support the amendment this week. Then we can work together to put extra pressure on the MPs who could swing the vote. [3]

If we get enough MPs to support Tim Yeo’s green jobs amendment now, we could be part of making sure we have a clean, thriving, low-carbon economy. But we won’t if George Osborne gets his way. And we’ll have lost our chance to end our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity. Let's not let that happen.

Are you in? Please email your MP now: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/green-amendment

Thanks for being involved,

Hannah, Becky, David and the 38 Degrees team

PS: Tim Yeo MP is calling this his "Green Jobs" amendment for a reason. Big companies like Siemens are lined up to invest in the UK - but they say need the certainty that having this target would provide. [4] Help make this happen, click here to email your MP: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/green-amendment

NOTES [1] The Guardian - Tory MP tables decarbonisation amendment to coalition’s energy bill: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/08/tory-mp-amendment-energy-bill

[2] Read more about what we did together here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2012/11/16/breaking-news-climate-change-decisions-being-made-now/http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2012/09/25/lib-dems-vote-for-tougher-climate-action/

[3] Greenpeace - The battle for Britain has begun: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/battle-britain-has-begun-20130212

[4] Business Green - Green energy giants join calls for Osborne to drive green growth:http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2215243/green-energy-giants-join-calls-for-osborne-to-drive-green-growth

Please support this amendment and request your MP to vote in support of it.

Related Post: 2030 Electricity Generation Mix