Blog Spot
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fossil fuels like shale and coal gas here
in Wales.
Of course we need to keep the lights
on, but this doesn't mean we need
new dash-for-gas power stations.
A recent study by Cambridge
Econometrics has shown that a serious
push for more offshore wind energy
could create 70,000 UK jobs more
than reliance on gas and could save
£8bn a year on gas imports by 2030.
We can also do much more to harness
other renewable sources to provide
our heat and electricity and, of course,
to improve energy efficiency.
Secondly, politicians can make a real
difference by making the right choices,
nationally and internationally:
•In Wales, there is a commitment,
agreed by all Parties in the National
Assembly, to reduce carbon
emissions by 40% by 2020. We
should now push for a clear routemap on how this can be achieved.
Welsh politicians needn't fear they
would be out of step in doing
more to decarbonise energy; public
opinion polls in Wales show a clear
majority in favour of renewables.
• t the UK level there is still a
A
chance that the Energy Bill
going through Parliament can be
amended to require a reduction
in the carbon emitted by our
power stations, and to do more
to encourage energy efficiency.
• n the global scale, there's a huge
O
opportunity for real progress
coming up in 2015, with a UN
Convention in Paris intending to
get all countries to agree to set legal
limits on carbon emissions.
We need our politicians to do more
than tip-toe their way along the
decarbonisation path.
Bold leadership by the Welsh
Government would show we are
willing to play our part in dealing
with the problem, and it could also
have economic benefits by convincing
low-carbon companies that Wales is
the place to do business.
The green economy is already
growing in the UK at 4.7% per
year, far faster than the economy in
e need
Of course w ghts
e li
to keep th
doesn't
on, but this d new
ee
mean we n power
dash-for-gas
stations
general. Further development of this
sector fits in well with the Welsh
Government's broader vision for
sustainable development, which must
be the eventual goal if we care about
future generations.
So my message is this: despite the
grim figures, let's not bury our heads
in the sand. Let's heed the warnings,
let's show decision makers in Wales
and around the world that we are
truly concerned and let's urge them
to act on climate change while there
is still be time to avoid the worst
consequences.
Alun James is Policy Officer for WWF
Cymru - the Welsh arm of WWF-UK
