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The Guardian: Poll delivers blow to government’s climate change policy

EXTRACT: The wildlife charity, WWF, says that the export credit guarantee department is spending £2bn (€3bn) a year of public money mainly to support the supply of aircraft and for hydrocarbon projects such as the controversial Sakhalin-2 scheme in eastern Russia. “It is clear that the ECGD is in direct contradiction of the UK government position on climate change,” James Leaton, WWF oil policy officer, said last night.

THE ARTICLE

· Key energy report ‘ineffectual’ say experts
· Brussels court threat over greener public buildings

Terry Macalister and Terry Slavin
Monday November 13, 2006

Government attempts to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change are undermined today by an opinion poll showing its key energy review document is deemed ineffectual, while critics say some official policies are contradictory.

The scepticism has been increased by a warning from Brussels that Britain will be taken to the European Court of Justice for failing to curb greenhouse gases in commercial buildings.

Barely a week after environment secretary David Miliband announced far-reaching climate change legislation and publication of the Stern Review, there is widespread concern about where the government is going.

The new survey shows the vast majority of the UK’s leading energy experts, 71%, believe the energy review proposals will not have any impact on ensuring the UK achieves its 2012 Kyoto targets.

Nearly 80% of those surveyed by energy technology firm Mitsui Babcock also believed Britain needed a new generation of nuclear plants to reduce C02 emissions, but 57% did not believe the government would follow this through.

Meanwhile, a new report reveals that the government is actively giving financial support to projects around the world that are damaging the climate and says this must be stopped.

The wildlife charity, WWF, says that the export credit guarantee department is spending £2bn (€3bn) a year of public money mainly to support the supply of aircraft and for hydrocarbon projects such as the controversial Sakhalin-2 scheme in eastern Russia.

“It is clear that the ECGD is in direct contradiction of the UK government position on climate change,” James Leaton, WWF oil policy officer, said last night.

The call for a change in policy comes alongside confirmation the EU has sent the UK a “reasoned opinion”, the last step before taking it to court, for failing to introduce an EU building directive. The government has consistently failed to inform Brussels how it will implement an EU directive requiring the labelling of public buildings on an A-G scale of energy efficiency.

Ian Manders, deputy director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy, says the energy performance in buildings directive should have been in place in January this year. The department for communities and local government scrambled to convene an industry working party only two weeks ago, just days after the latest – and last – EU threat to take it to court, and is asking for an extension of three years. “There’s no excuse for the length of time it’s taken for the British government to implement all of the directive,” he said.

Government inaction until now is understood to have been because of a row between the former office of the deputy prime minister and Defra over how broadly to interpret the EU’s definition of “public” buildings, with Defra wanting it to apply to all buildings visited by the public and the ODPM wanting to limit it to government offices.

Indications from the first working party meeting are that the narrower definition has won the day, but as the government is such a huge player in the commercial market, particularly in London, the impact could still be substantial.

A survey of 50 blue chip property developers by consultants Gensler earlier this year found that 75% believe energy labelling will hurt the value and transferability of their assets because companies that want to protect their environmental credentials will not want to rent space in poorly rated buildings.

Chris Johnson, Gensler London’s managing principal, said: “Energy performance certificates will shorten the lifespan of commercial buildings constructed before the new regulations, and we expect the capital value of inefficient buildings to fall as a result.”

Brian Berry, head of policy for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, said the certificates would redress the problem in the commercial sector of landlords having no incentive to make their buildings more energy-efficient. “It will force landlords to upgrade their buildings. But it hasn’t been properly managed by the government. They should have been looking at this a couple of years ago.”

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1946199,00.html

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