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Businesses in the UK could save themselves money as well as help the UK step closer to a low carbon economy by being more energy efficient, the government has claimed.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) cited research from WRAP, which revealed that 47 percent of businesses recognise they could make savings of more than £100,000 through low and no cost energy efficiency measures.
Businesses could contribute up to ten percent towards the UK’s greenhouse emissions targets for 2020 by being more eco-friendly, the government advised.
Hilary Benn, environment secretary, said: “Sustainability is the key not only to the environment but to business success.”
“There are opportunities here in the UK too in the low carbon and environmental goods and services, where we currently have just over three per cent of the global market.”
The cost of deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology could prohibit it from being used on an industrial scale, a new report has indicated.
CCS is being touted as a key part of low-carbon strategies in the UK and US, among other countries, with UK energy secretary Ed Miliband claiming recently that clean coal will be vital for future energy security.
However, a new study from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, has warned that it could initially cost $150 (£90) per ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) to deploy on a large scale.
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Plans for the UK’s largest renewable energy facility to use anaerobic digestion (AD) for power generation have been approved by North Yorkshire County Council.
Selby Renewable Energy Park is to be built on the site of a former Tate & Lyle factory and will use AD technology to generate 8MW of energy.
The £20 million plant will produce electricity from 165,000 tonnes of food waste every year – waste which would otherwise end up in landfill.
It is estimated that the facility will generate enough clean energy to power 10,800 homes a year, more than the entire population of Selby, which is close to the Drax power station.
Shaun Flynn, business development manager for the scheme, said that Selby Renewable Energy Park would also contribute towards industry-wide efforts to meet the government’s targets on renewable energy.
Highlighting the perceived benefits of AD, he stated: “Waste is treated in a sealed process reducing the generation of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. ”
A clean, renewable fuel is produced which can be used to create electricity and heat and we are returning a green, sustainable fertiliser to the land which will in turn grow our crops for food.”
Last week, the government set a target for the power generation industry to produce 40 percent of UK electricity from low-carbon sources – such as renewables, nuclear and clean coal – by 2020.
The transition to a low-carbon society in the UK will require a much greater emphasis on business energy-efficiency measures, it has been claimed.
Speaking in response to the publication of the government’s Low Carbon Transition Plan, an organisation helping firms to improve their environmental performance has claimed that renewable energy is only “part of the solution”.
According to the Cumbria Green Business Forum, the plans outlined in the report will help to bring about positive change in current UK business practices and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
”We do need to focus on renewable energy as a primary target for that. For so long now, the UK has relied upon its own indigenous forces of gas and oil,” said John Barwise, chairman of the group.
However, he added: “I would like to see a bigger emphasis on energy efficiency than is currently the case.
“ The Low Carbon Transition Plan calls for ten percent of the required annual emissions cut between now and 2020 to come from greater energy-efficiency in the workplace.
BSI has published a new standard, BS EN 16001, to show organisations how to establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy efficiency.
BS EN 16001 will help your business establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy efficiency. This will help lead to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through systematic management of energy.
BS EN 16001 specifies requirements for an energy management system to enable you to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and information about significant energy aspects. It is a useful document for all types and sizes of organizations and accommodates diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions. This standard applies to the activities under the control of an organisation.
BS EN 16001 can be used independently or integrated with any other management system. To facilitate its use, the structure of this standard is similar to the structure of BS EN ISO 14001.
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Ambitious plans to generate one third of UK electricity from renewables by 2020 form the centrepiece of government plans for a low carbon future.
Financial packages for wind and wave energy and changes to planning procedures are among key components of the Low Carbon Transition Plan.
“Smart” meters are to be deployed in 26 million homes by 2020.
The government says the plan will create up to 400,000 “green jobs” without a major hike in energy prices.
“The strategies we are launching today outline the government’s vision for achieving a low carbon future for the UK, reshaping the way we live and work in every element of our lives,” said Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.
“This is a challenge that every economy is facing, and we are determined that by setting clear policy now, Britain positions itself to benefit both economically and environmentally from the transition.”
The measures are designed to meet the UK target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 34% from 1990 levels by 2020, and the EU-derived target of producing 15% of energy from renewable sources by the same date.
Currently, greenhouse gas emissions are about 22% below the 1990 baseline, according to government figures, including cuts that companies have purchased through the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).
Among the measures designed to stimulate expansion of renewable power are:
up to £120m to advance the offshore wind industry
up to £60m to stimulate progress in wave and tidal technologies
£6m to explore geothermal energy potential
a new facility to research nuclear technology
financial incentives for home generation
the government will exercise powers to speed up grid connection for renewable installations
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