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Climate Change Innovation in the United Kingdom Bulletin
Climate Change Innovation in the United Kingdom
Bulletin
This is our eleventh Climate Change Innovation in the United Kingdom Bulletin. It is intended to provide you with a monthly snapshot of British business developments in the Climate Change arena. It will also look at global business responses to Climate Change. This week we will also be featuring a special report on Climategate and those controversial temperature recordings.
In this bulletin:
• Smart Meters for the UK
• Smart Meters will save UK consumers Pounds
• The E type for the 21st Century
• Sandalwood the key to “Greener” Cows and Sheep
• UK Green Bank slammed
• A new sustainability game for Africa
• Everything you ever wanted to know about California’s Cap and Trade Scheme
• Feed in Tariff cuts jeopardize UK solar plans
• And a Special Feature: A Blog from the Economist on Climategate. So were the controversial temperature recordings right after all?
UK Adopts Smart meters
The British Government has published plans for a national roll-out of smart meters starting in 2014, which will bring the following benefits to consumers, energy suppliers and networks:
• Consumers will have real time information on their energy consumption to help them control energy use, save money and reduce emissions. By 2020, the average consumer (with both electricity and gas) is expected to save around £23 per year on their energy bill as a result of smart metering. There will also be an end to estimated billing.
• Suppliers will have access to accurate data for billing, allowing them to improve their customer service and reduce costs, for example by reducing call centre traffic, ending visits by meter readers, and better debt management.
• Energy networks will have better information with which to manage and plan current activities as well as the move towards smart grids to support sustainable energy supplies.
Full background
is available on the See also news coverage
from the Source: DECC Description: Description: http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=uk-ade&cg=12560&si=uk-guardia
n-eurostar_GuardianEurostarAdNetwork_Guardian_59594828_LEADER_Paris_728x90&c
c=1 Smart meters to save UK households £23 a year by
2020 Description: Description: Smart meter The roll-out
will see 53m smart meters installed in 30m homes and
businesses, starting in 2014 and finishing in 2019.
Photograph: Energy Retailers Association/PA Smart meters,
which monitor The roll-out – the most
comprehensive yet planned in any country – will require
53m smart meters to be installed in 30m homes and
businesses, starting in 2014 and finishing in 2019.
Households are likely to save £23 on their annual But these
figures were disputed by the consumer group Which? and by
smart metering industry experts. Jessica Driscoll, senior
advocate at Which?, said: "It's too difficult to say that
people will save a certain amount of money. The savings
depend on people making changes to the way they use energy,
and that is very hard to do. Smart meters are just one way
of helping people make those changes." She said Which? had
not yet made an estimates of the cost or savings from the
technology because there was not yet enough information to
make a reliable estimate. She said it was more important
to reassure consumers that smart meters would bring a
variety of benefits, than to try to persuade them of the
potential cost savings based on estimates. Some industry
experts privately agreed that it was too soon to make such
exact estimates of the cost savings that could be realised
by the roll-out. Smart meters benefit consumers by showing
their energy use in real-time. This means people can respond
quickly, for instance by turning off unnecessary lights or
appliances, to save money. The technology also benefits
energy suppliers, as it eliminates the need for meter
readers to visit properties and allow for more accurate
billing, and better data on energy demand patterns. Future
generations of smart meters are likely to offer even greater
advantages, for instance by allowing utilities better to
manage demand within consumers' homes, by switching
appliances such as washing machines on when demand is lower,
or turning down fridges when demand peaks. This could save
billions through more efficient management of the
electricity grid, but these capabilities are unlikely to be
introduced for several years at the earliest. But these
capabilities also bring potential problems, according to
Driscoll, such as what happens to the valuable consumer data
that the meters collect how utilities will ensure that
people can retain control over their own energy use. Some
companies might try to use the opportunity of installing
smart meters to sell souped-up versions with more features,
or to sell additional services, such as internet or
telephones. "Once they're in your home, they might try to
'upsell', which is something we are worried about," Driscoll
warned. She added: "People do not trust energy companies.
They need to work very hard to ensure that this rollout is
going to be a big benefit to British people." From now
until 2014, the government plans to work with industry and
consumer groups to lay the groundwork for the roll-out,
including setting specifications for the kinds of smart
meters to be used. Today's announcement is expected to kick
off a frenzy of activity among smart meter technology
companies, utilities and communications businesses as they
jockey for position in pressing for the adoption of their
competing ideas on how smart meters should work. During
this phase, companies are expected to build and test trial
systems, get customer feedback and demonstrate how they can
ensure energy savings. Consumers are likely to be invited to
take place in trials. The government will also set up a Data
and Communications Company, intended to provide data and
communications services for the smart metering system
nationwide. In the following stage, from 2014 to 2019, the
mass roll-out will take place. Charles Hendry, energy
minister, said: "Smart meters will enable us to modernise
the electricity system over the coming years and create the
smart grids we will need to bring new low carbon energy
sources online, and handle much higher demand for
electricity as we progressively electrify transport and
heating." Source: Guardian Jet-engine maker aims to
power cars of the future A super two-seater Jaguar -
called the “E-Type for the 21st century” - is a
“green” electric hybrid vehicle that uses UK jet-turbine
expertise to travel 900km (540 miles) on a 60-litre tank of
fuel. Description: Description: http://cdn4.usa.bugleblogs.com/blogs/000/000/003/jaguar-cx75.jpgDescribed
as the “E-Type for the 21st century”, a super new Jaguar
is a “green” electric hybrid vehicle that uses high-tech
UK jet-turbine expertise to travel 900 kilometres (540
miles) on a single 60-litre tank of fuel. The Jaguar C-X75
can sprint from standing to 100km (62 miles) per hour in
just 3.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 330km/h
(205mph). At present it is a concept vehicle but it shows
the way ahead that the classic performance-car maker is
thinking of travelling. Jaguar’s
eco-technology Despite being a hot sports car the C-X75 is
equipped with plenty of green credentials - not just another
super-vehicle for “petrol-heads”. It blends superb
sporting looks and performance with the latest
eco-technology that aims to help tackle climate
change. The attractive C-X75 from Jaguar Land Rover has
carbon-fibre bodywork, wrapped around an aluminium chassis
and powered by lithium-ion batteries that can be charged
from a standard mains socket. It can run on battery power
producing zero emissions for about 110km (68 miles) using
four electric 145kW (195 brake horsepower) motors, each one
driving each wheel. Then, the C-X75’s range can extend
to 900km (540 miles) on a single 60-litre tank by firing up
two super-efficient, micro gas turbines to generate the
extra electric power for the batteries - with minimal
emissions of 28g/km of carbon dioxide. The gas turbines
are made by award-winning UK company Bladon has refined that
technology to produce much smaller, super-efficient micro
turbines for Jaguar under a UK government programme. A Jaguar spokesperson said that the C-X75
“demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguar’s
core values of performance, design and luxury using
technology that will make environmentally responsible
performance and electrical vehicles a practical
proposition.” Its turbines give advantages over a
conventional piston engine. With fewer moving parts,
turbines do not need oil lubrication or water cooling
systems, thus offering considerable weight saving. They can
be run on a range of fuels including diesel, biofuels,
compressed natural gas and liquid petroleum gas. Priced at
£200,000 the super-car was recently unveiled to industry
acclaim at the Paris Motor Show and proved to be a star
attraction at Los Angeles. Source: UKTI Welsh
University discovers way to reduce methane from cows The research team, led by Professor Jamie Newbold
of Aberystwyth University, found that by adding sandalwood
to animal feed the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as
E.coli and Listeria in the rumen is reduced. As a
consequence, energy which would otherwise be lost through
the production of methane is diverted to increased milk and
meat production. At the same time there was a significant
reduction in the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas with
23 times the global warming potential of the equivalent
amount of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that livestock
produce 18% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, more
than all forms of transport combined. Trials in a rumen
simulating fermenter (Rusitec) confirmed that Javanol, a
sandalwood analogue, reduced methane production by up to
25%. A reduction of 20% in methane emissions was achieved
in field trials with sheep when 2ml of Javanol per day was
added to their diet. This is an exciting discovery in two
ways,” said Dr Ahmed Ali. “Firstly, there would be
benefits to the agricultural industry through increased milk
and meat production: this increase in productivity would be
set against a background of growing pressures on global food
supply. Secondly, there could be a significant reduction in
methane emissions.” “Overall, the project is a good
example of a University and an SME collaborating on cutting
edge research. If this project and projects like this, can
be commercialised in global markets, that has to be the way
forward for the knowledge economy of Wales.” Source:
National Farmers Union Green investment bank 'must operate
commercially' Description: Description: Offshore wind
farmThe government is putting the UK's fledgling If the bank is to succeed
in directing billions of needed investment into green
projects such as renewable "If the government is serious
about being the 'greenest ever', the chancellor must ensure
the green investment bank can do what it says on the tin and
raise extra capital like a real bank," said Joan Walley,
chair of the environmental audit committee, which published
its report on Friday. "The UK desperately needs a
game-changing injection of private sector investment if we
are going to meet our The
green investment bank was supposed to be structured as a
normal investment bank, with the ability to raise money and
loans, and to issue bonds and other investment products,
including green ISAs, promised by the chancellor, George
Osborne. But objections to the plans from within the
Treasury, which believes the bank could swell the deficit
because it would appear as a liability on the government's
balance sheet, mean the plans are likely to be watered down
and the bank will be restricted instead to dispensing a
small pot of government funding, with £1bn coming from
general funds and £1bn to £2bn more from the sales of
public assets. The government appears
divided on the issue, which it must resolve by the end of
May when the details of the new bank will be published.
Vince Cable, business secretary, said: "We agree with the
committee that the green investment bank should be an
enduring bank, which takes investment decisions at arm's
length from ministers and be able to reinvest the proceeds
from its investments." John Sauven, executive director of
Greenpeace, urged David Cameron to get involved: "It's time
the prime minister intervened and put a stop to Treasury
mandarins paralysing a proper decision on the bank." Ed
Matthew, director of Transform UK, who co-ordinates the
national alliance for a green investment bank, added: "The
only cost the Treasury should consider is the cost of
failure to unleash this institution's massive potential to
re-power our economy." The report found that between
£200bn and £1,000bn in investment would be needed in the
next two decades to generate a low-carbon economy in the UK.
But Ernst & Young told the inquiry that traditional sources
of private capital would only provide about £50bn to £80bn
by 2025. Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith said: "I think it's
very clear that if we are to have any hope of meeting the
government's stated aspirations, we will need a bank capable
of issuing bonds, not a limited fund. If it is to be a bank,
then the initial capitalisation doesn't concern me too much,
as it will be able to raise finance in the normal way, and
on a big scale. If it is a fund, then it will fall
dramatically short regardless of the initial
capitalisation." In another blow to government plans, an
influential investment company warned that the "carbon floor
price" the government is proposing would fail to generate
new investment for green projects. "The policy is unlikely
to command investor confidence. It needs to gain credibility
if the government wants to attract new low-carbon investment
into the UK," found Climate Change Capital, in a report
published on Friday morning. As currently planned, the
floor price – which would ensure that businesses always
had to pay a minimum amount for their greenhouse gas
emissions, whatever the conditions in the marketplace –
would be subject to the whims of MPs, because every year
parliament would have to vote for an increase in the price.
The authors of the report said this was "highly unlikely"
and would not give investors the certainty they need.
Instead, they said the Treasury should issue firm guarantees
of the future floor price. Source: The Guardian A
serious lesson on sustainability… using a fun
game Description: Description: Description: Youngsters in
Africa use the board game. Image by University of
Leicester.A field trip to Africa has inspired students and
academics from the United Kingdom to develop a unique game
for schools to help youngsters learn about sustainable
living. The sustainability board game, which has already
proved a success with youngsters in Kenya, is now being made
available to UK schools at a time of growing awareness of
and interest in green and ecological issues. There are
more than 14,000 eco-schools in the UK, and more than 1,000
have a green flag - indicating they have a strong
whole-school commitment to environmental issues. The
“eco-game” was inspired by a visit to Kenya’s Lake
Bogoria district by members of the University of
Leicester’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Science. The
game promotes the sustainable use of natural resources and
was devised in consultation with Kenyan people who guided
the students on the difficulties in their everyday lives and
what issues were particularly important to them. It is
based on a traditional pastime called bao (board) that is
thousands of years old and can be played by two people
anywhere with stones or seeds and two rows of hollows in
some wood or the ground. Archaeologists have found the sets
of hollow patterns carved into rock at prehistoric
sites. Emma Tebbs is a PhD student and graduate teaching
assistant for the interdisciplinary science course and one
of those involved in developing a green version of the game
. “It gives UK students the chance to think about what
sustainability means in the context of a developing country,
before relating it back to their own life,” added Emma who
developed the new game with Sarah Jones and Martin Birks. It
looks at how to use the resources in the environment,
demonstrates how closely they are interlinked and the
effects of using each resource on the others. Emma Tebbs
has visited the Kenyan region four times over the last few
years and devised the “green game” based on traditional
African bao that revolves around the idea of taking a
neighbour’s cows, a precious resource and demonstration of
wealth in the region. Those playing the eco-game must
learn how to use resources such as water, trees, swamps and
pastures, crops, honey, wildlife and livestock. Source:
UKTI The ultimate guide to California's cap-and-trade
scheme California's emissions trading plans represent
arguably the last throw of the dice for delivering a US
carbon pricing mechanism - BusinessGreen takes the
microscope to the wide-ranging scheme Description:
Description: share prices Assembly Bill 32, commonly referred to as
AB32, defines global warming as "a serious threat to the
economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and
the environment of California" and as a result sets a
legally-binding target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
in the state to 1990 levels by 2020. The target amounts to a
25 per cent reduction in CO2e emissions between 2008 and
2020, and CARB's proposed cap-and-trade scheme sits at the
centre of a suite of measures such as lower-emission
vehicles, renewable electricity and energy efficiency
designed to ensure the goal is met. Although the
introduction of a cap-and-trade scheme is not specified by
AB32 legislation, the Act does refer to the need for
"market-based compliance mechanisms to comply with the
regulations". Other mechanisms such as a "carbon fee" were
considered, but a cap-and-trade scheme emerged as the
preferred means of driving emissions reductions across the
electricity generation and industrial sectors, which
together account for 61 per cent of the state's total
emissions. The state is the second-largest emitter of
greenhouse gases in the US, after Texas, and ranks 12th in
the world. However, because of California's status as the
largest economy in the US, with a Gross State Product of
$1.89 trillion, the cap-and-trade programme has attracted
huge controversy, with critics arguing it will damage the
economy and drive up unemployment and supporters insisting
it will create clean tech jobs, bolster competitiveness, and
ultimately provide the basis for a national carbon pricing
mechanism. Here BusinessGreen offers a point-by-point
guide to the cap-and-trade scheme that looks set to
determine the long-term future of the global carbon
market. When does it begin? Technical staff will present
the finalised rules on the scheme to CARB regulators in July
and the first phase of the cap will begin on 1 January 2012.
By 2015, 85 per cent of state emissions will be covered by
the cap. There are three compliance periods: 2012-14;
2015-17; 2018-2020. What is the cap? The cap will start
in 2012 at 165.8 million tonnes of CO2 - the estimated
emissions from capped sources for that year. It will then
decline by two per cent a year until 2015 when it will more
than double to 394.5 million tonnes because of the inclusion
of distributors of transportation fuels, natural gas, and
other fuels. The cap will then reduce by three per cent
annually to 334 million tonnes by 2020. Which companies
are capped? Electricity generators, refineries, cement,
paper and glass facilities will be included in the first
phase of trading from 2012. This will cover 360 businesses
at 600 installations that each emit 25,000 tonnes or more of
CO2e a year. In California, the top three emitters are
refineries owned by Chevron, Shell and BP. Emissions from
refineries represent more than one-third of industrial
emissions with 35.65 million tonnes of CO2e emitted in 2008,
but the University of California Los Angeles also meets
CARB's criteria with annual CO2e emissions of 205,912
tonnes. Out-of-state electricity suppliers, which account
for half of California's electricity sector emissions are
also covered. From 2015, the scheme will expand to
distributors of natural gas, propane and transportation
fuels. How will allowances be distributed? In the first
phase, 2012-2015, allowances will be issued free of charge
to capped sources to minimise the impact on businesses and
consumers and reduce the risk of 'carbon leakage' whereby
firms move to regions outside the scheme. However, the
second tier of capped sources will have to pay for their
allowances from 2015 at auctions or purchase them from other
companies. CARB will issue 2.7 billion allowances through to
2020. At the end of a compliance period, each capped
source will surrender allowances equal to its total GHG
emissions. Excess allowances can be traded or banked for
compliance in a later period. How much will allowances
cost? CARB has set a floor price of $10 per tonne to
prevent prices dropping so low that they do not stimulate
emissions reductions. Allowances will trade at between $15
and $75 per tonne by 2020, according to CARB
estimates. Regulators also plan to set aside a reserve of
123.5 million (4.6 per cent) allowances between 2012 and
2020 to relieve market pressure if the price rises too
high. How will the wider economy be affected? CARB
estimates that 77,000 jobs could be created as a result of
cap-and-trade, and California's economy could grow by $7.3
billion by 2030. However, critics warn the scheme will
drive up energy prices and result in job loss from
carbon-intensive sectors. How was the scheme
developed? CARB executive staff formulated the
regulations, with oversight from CARB board members who
ultimately have the authority to approve the
scheme. Rulemaking for cap-and-trade was a very public
process, involving 30 public workshops in 2009 and 2010.
These meetings culminated in the December 16 meeting where
200 members of the public offered their opinion, ranging
from Chevron, the state's largest oil company, to
environmentalists and Tea Party activists. Although the
rules on cap-and-trade have now been adopted, they are still
regarded as work in progress, rather than laws set in
stone. Mary Nicholls, chairwoman of the board, said: "We
are being cautious and careful within the context of a very
bold effort and it's something that is going to have to be
nurtured, but it's a capstone of this administration's
work. "It is a historic venture and we know we haven't got
everything right but we can say we've done all we
can." Source: Business Green Feed-in tariff cuts result
in scrapping of government's own solar project The UK
government has cancelled its own flagship solar energy
project because the Department of Energy and Climate
Change's (DECC) proposed cuts to solar feed-in tariff
incentives will make the scheme unviable.Description:
Description: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/climate_change_carbon_tax.jpg That
is the charge from "stakeholders" who contributed to a
Whitehall project to assess the potential for fitting solar
panels across the government estate, following a workshop on
the topic at the Cabinet Office last
November. BusinessGreen has learned that the project was
quietly cancelled last month, just a week after the
government launched a controversial review of feed-in
tariffs for solar installations with over 50kW that proposes
deep cuts to the incentives of between 40 and 70 per
cent. At the original Cabinet Office meeting in the
autumn, Whitehall departments were told how hospitals,
council buildings and other land owned by the government
could earn additional revenue through the feed-in tariff
scheme by installing solar panels on roofs and unused
land. Government procurement body Buying Solutions also
began work on a more detailed solar project proposal on the
back of the meeting. But it appears that the plans were
floored by last month's feed-in tariff consultation, which
proposes deep cuts to the support solar panels receive
through the scheme. "All stakeholders were told that it
has been decided not to proceed with the Solar PV Project
because of the impending changes to the FiTs for solar PV
and therefore it wouldn't be prudent to continue," said
Katie Moore, co-founder of the Solar Club, a community whose
members are planning to invest in a solar project. The
proposed feed-in tariff cuts have been roundly Speaking to BusinessGreen following the
launch of the review, The proposed cuts are
currently subject to consultation, but the decision of the
government to axe its own solar project ahead of the results
of the review will fuel fears across the industry that deep
cuts to incentives will now be finalised. In response to
questions about the scrapping of the solar project the
Cabinet Office referred BusinessGreen to the Buying
Solutions procurement body, where a spokeswoman confirmed
that the project had been cancelled. However, she declined
to give a reason as to why the initiative had been
ditched. DECC declined to comment on the cancelling of the
project, but a spokesman said that its view remained that
the feed-in tariff scheme was primarily designed to support
small installations rather than solar farms, and as such
cuts to incentives for larger projects were
necessary. Source: BusinessGreen The Climategate Figures
: A special- Blog from the Economist Description:
Description: http://www.moonbattery.com/climate-change.jpgRemember
the so called Climategate .The controversy around the
temperature records that were collected around the world
and held by the University of East Anglia . Well it
appears the climate records were not inaccurate according to
the Economist .Here’s the short version of the reason why:
a new and methodologically interesting study, carried out by
people some of whom might have been expected to take a
somewhat skeptical view on the issue, seems essentially to
have confirmed the results of earlier work on the rate at
which the earth’s temperature is rising. This makes
suggestions that this rise is a result of bad measurement,
or indeed a conspiracy of climatologists, even less credible
than they were before. To read the entire blog go to : Source : The Economist PS ….From
London: A conference, ‘Climate change – how to secure
our future well-being: a health and security perspective’,
will be held on Monday 20 June 2011 at British Medical
Association (BMA) House, London. The event is aimed at
reaching a wide audience of key business leaders, health
professionals, policy-makers and people from the defence and
security sector. The conference organisers would welcome
any interest in anyone attending. For more read The
Guardian : And don’t forget we now have a Facebook site
where you can also catch up on the latest Climate Change
stories and more from the British High Commission:
New Zealand Defence Force: Surveillance, Aid, Responders And Evacuees Covered By RNZAF Vanuatu Flights
Leonard C. Goodman, IMI: The Democratic Party Faces Its Day Of Reckoning
APEC: Korea Sets Ambitious Priorities For APEC 2025 - Building A Sustainable Tomorrow
New Zealand Defence Force: NZDF Support To Vanuatu
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Türk Welcomes 2nd International Decade For People Of African Descent, Calls For Bold Action To Deliver Real Change
John P. Ruehl, IMI: What Is Driving State-Sponsored Attacks On Citizens Abroad?