Responding to today’s Energy White Paper, Energy UK’s chief executive, Emma Pinchbeck said:
“Today’s White Paper is a hugely significant step in the transformation of our energy system that will be essential to the UK doing our bit to tackle climate change – and to driving a Green Recovery that brings investment and jobs to the whole of the UK.
“The sheer scale of what needs to be done is evident from the White Paper and the energy industry is excited to keep pushing to reduce our emissions – already down by 70% percent – and to bring new services to our customers. However we also need the policies from Government to invest and innovate and for someone to make sure we all run in the right direction, and that no one is left behind, as we race towards a fully decarbonised economy.
“The Energy White Paper says we will double the amount of electricity we produce, decarbonise our power sector, make our homes and businesses fit for the future by 2030, support the roll out of electric vehicles, repurpose our oil and gas industry and build a smart and flexible system to support it all. The energy system is already well on its way to this transformation.
“It is vital that we bring people with us in this green industrial revolution, and while the lasting benefits for our economy, environment and health will be huge, we need to ensure that the costs in reaching that point are spread fairly, a key theme in the White Paper. We also need to make sure that UK companies, from energy retailers to our SME supply chain businesses, are able to compete, innovate and invest for a net-zero future.
“It looks like 2021 will be a busy year for energy policy. As the energy industry, we urge ambition and pace in policy following on from the White Paper, and look forward to working with Government to driving an energy transition which is key to meeting our climate change targets. This should be an inflection point for the UK energy sector, with potentially global significance as the hosts of COP26.”