I felt good about yesterday’s launch of BirdLife International’s new report on renewable energy: our partnership offering solutions to decision-makers across Europe to help them ensure the much needed energy revolution takes place in harmony with nature. For me, this is part of what good leadership is all about – offering a picture of what success looks like and coming up with practical solutions to today’s challenges. It was well received by European Commission staff responsible for mapping out the future of a low Carbon Europe.Even though the challenge of deployment of renewable energy at the scale required to meet EU targets is considerable, there does not need to be conflict with wildlife objectives.At our launch, it was reassuring to hear colleagues from both the European Wind Energy Association and European Renewable Energy Council agree with our conclusions. Industry has a leadership role to play as well – encouraging best practice as well as not ducking the environmental impacts that some technologies pose. It is in no-one’s interests to stick their heads in the sand over the consequences of bad renewables. Liquid biofuels continue to pose considerable problems and today we have joined forces with Greenpeace, Woodland Trust and Friends of the Earth to highlight the environmental risks of a dash for imported biomass.In this new report we identify ways in which the UK could enhance its own production of bioenergy sustainably and avoid the need for imports. This would deliver both jobs and growth in sectors such as waste management, agriculture and forest management.We have produced this report now as the Government faces a stark choice about where our renewable energy subsidies go. Do we invest them in burning wood from imported from forests across the globe, or do we direct them towards creating a sustainable, UK based bioenergy industry?We think the answer is clear and our report sets out the reasons why. In the UK there are already 31 operating biomass power stations with around 40 more in various stages of development – they will require millions of tonnes of wood and will be heavily dependent on overseas imports.
I hope that readers of both renewable reports sit up and take notice.
Peter, we are continuing to pressurise the Government on securing a second Kyoto commitment period and will soon be running a campaign action on the subject.
Regarding barrages, as you know, we agree to disagree. A subject for another day perhaps...
On efficiency and demand management, we are on the same page. At the RSPB we have been monitoring our carbon footprint from travel and energy from the built estate and are pleased to report that we are on track to meet out 3% per capita per annum reduction.