The UK is broadly average compared with other EU member states in building a clean energy economy and tacking climate change, according to a new report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
The report compares a ‘basket’ of seven measures of progress towards a clean energy economy, that, it said, dispels some UK government claims that the country is ‘ahead of the pack’ in Europe.
It found that the UK performs badly on renewable energy per-capita compared with other large economies – Germany, Italy, France and Spain – and with the entire EU28, coming 21st overall.
However, the UK has done well on recent increases in per capita renewable energy capacity (2009–2014), coming fourth out of the EU28.
Overall, the UK is average across four of the chosen metrics, per capita carbon emissions, recent annual percentage per capita decrease in emissions in recent years (2009-2014), carbon intensity, and percentage of low-carbon energy in total energy use.
ECIU director of Richard Black said: “This report reveals that the UK’s record is about average compared with other EU member states – we’re ahead of the pack on some measures, and behind in others.”
ECIU advisory board and Conservative MP for Newbury Richard Benyon said: “This report shows … the UK is far from being ‘ahead of the pack’ as some people claim that we are.
“In Britain, however, we benefit from carbon budgets, set by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
“Early and full acceptance of the CCC’s recommendation on the fifth carbon budget, with no caveats, will give investors the confidence to invest in the low-carbon infrastructure we need, and so maintain this government’s excellent record of lower emissions combined with sustained economic growth.”
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