Ukraine has managed to complete more onshore wind turbines than England despite currently being engaged in a war with Russia. 19 green energy turbines have been installed since the invasion, in comparison to only 2 in the UK.
Despite the government promising to relax restrictions on wind farms last year, the green reforms have yet to materialize. The delay is estimated to have cost UK bill payers £800m.
A Worrying Picture
This worrying performance which has stemmed from ‘roadblocking’ government policy in the planning process to construct onshore wind farms is just another footnote in a long line of climate missteps in recent months.
The UK is “strikingly unprepared” for the impacts of the climate crisis, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which said there had been a “lost decade” in efforts to adapt to the impacts of global heating.
In contrast to other major powers, such as the US and Europe, who have unveiled substantial financially backed climate packages. President Biden announced the largest investment in history to fight the climate crisis pledging $375bn over the next decade. The UK has stalled and is in danger of going backward. Continuing to be heavily reliant on gas instead of making strong efforts to switch to alternatives like electric heating is only going to put the UK further behind other global players.
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has urged countries to “put aside their national interests” and “fight together for the common good”
Stiell was addressing representatives from nearly 200 countries gathered in Bonn, the UN’s climate headquarters, to discuss how to forge a “course correction” in preparation for the annual COP28 climate conference in Dubai later this year.
Levelling Up the Green Alternatives
Onshore wind is one of the cheapest sources of electricity generation. Unlocking this potential will be key to having any chance of reaching net zero targets. Currently, the UK generates around 14 gigawatts (GW) of energy from wind. When placed in comparison to Germany at 58GW or even France at 28GW, it’s a paltry figure.
In 2015, the UK government implemented new planning regulations known as the “National Planning Policy Framework” (NPPF), which gave local communities more say in the planning process for onshore wind projects. This meant that proposals for onshore wind farms had to meet stricter criteria and consider the views of local communities and other stakeholders.
Under the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss, proposals to axe the ‘ban’ were set in motion, but lasted only as long as the former prime minister’s time in Number 10.
Financial and Public Support
According to a government report, 79% of the public support onshore wind and one in two people surveyed would happily live next to an onshore wind farm. These figures don’t align with the picture painted of fierce opposition by the general public.
There is even support among the younger generation. Almost half (45%) of 16-24-year-olds questioned said they had taken a picture of a turbine – and three-quarters of those (75%) say they did so because they like the way it looked.
Doubling the UK’s onshore wind capacity to 30GW by 2030 will not just boost the UK’s clean energy portfolio, but it would also reduce consumer bills by £16.3 billion over the course of this decade – an annual saving of £25 for every household. It would generate £45 billion of economic activity and create 27,000 full-time jobs in the UK’s onshore wind industry- including the supply chain.
The UK is presently the global leader in offshore wind energy, powering over 7.5 million homes, and is currently constructing Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The process however is costly and time-consuming. With the net zero deadlines in 2050, time to plan, construct and bring into operation. The time frame just isn’t there.
Championing onshore UK wind should be a priority. The recent energy (mis)steps have been baffling. Reopening the fracking conversation, giving the green light to the opening of the country’s first deep coal mine in 30 years, scrapping subsidies on electric vehicles, and issuing 100 new licenses for oil and gas exploration. None of these fall in line with net zero or protecting the environment.
Keir Starmer’s Labour recently pledged a halt to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. When the general election comes around in 2025. Policies like these are sure to provide a key battleground. For the sake of climate change consequences, let’s hope so.
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