‘Action needed’ on carbon targets and energy security

Chairman of the CCC John Gummer said: “Action is needed now to ensure the UK can deliver its climate obligations at least cost.”

Findings within the report also suggest there is a lack of energy policy, which is jeopardising UK energy security.

Government has also failed to implement effective incentives to encourage greater energy efficiency and the UK's planned exit from the European Union is causing yet further investor uncertainty

Jenifer Baxter, head of energy and environment and the IMechE

In response, Jenifer Baxter, head of energy and environment and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said: “In terms of the electricity sector, there has been a policy vacuum which is hampering investment into new power plants, as well as research and development into emerging technologies that can potentially bridge the imminent supply gap.

“This technology provides the potential to make fossil fuel generation low carbon. There is great promise for this technology to be used to store emissions from gas-fired power stations in the future.”

She added that without carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, the UK would lock itself into relying on unabated fossil fuel power for generations to come.

"Government has also failed to implement effective incentives to encourage greater energy efficiency and the UK's planned exit from the European Union is causing yet further investor uncertainty,” Baxter said.

“The UK has the potential to meet these stretching energy and climate change targets, but government and industry must work together to support research and development programmes to create applied knowledge and encourage innovations in technologies such as CCS, hydrogen and energy storage.”