The Energy and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry into the challenges facing the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets for heat and transport.

The UK government has committed to ensuring that 30% of electricity, 12% of heat and 10% of transport demand are met by renewable sources in order to comply with the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive, which sets a target to source 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

The energy and climate change committee said: “While progress towards the share of renewable electricity is on track, concerns have been raised regarding progress in renewable heat and transport, and the Committee on Climate Change has warned that the Government’s ambitions may no longer be achievable. Moreover, some research has suggested that renewable transport fuels may cause more carbon emissions than they save.

“Low carbon heat and the decarbonisation of transport were two issues that stakeholders raised with us over the last year as priority areas that need to be scrutinised during the course of this Parliament. We hope that this inquiry will contribute towards our goals for the Parliament, which include influencing the Government’s long-term approach to climate targets.”

Respond to the inquiry

Send a written submission

The Committee invites responses addressing some, or all, of the following questions in no more than 3000 words:

·         Does the Government have the right policies in place to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets in the heat and transport sectors, and if not where are policies missing or inadequate?

·         How could a whole systems approach across the power, heat and transport sectors be utilised to ensure the 2020 targets are met?

·         To what extent is electrification of heat and transport a viable approach up to 2020 and beyond?

·         What are the challenges (regulatory, technological, behavioural, and others) to decarbonising heat and transport over the longer-term and how might these be overcome?

Deadline for submissions: Monday 18 April 2016.

 

For more information visit: 2020 renewable heat and transport targets inquiry

Read more expert coverage: “There is this misconception that to decarbonise you have to put everything onto electricity, but heat is a massive resource”

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