Government sets targets to reduce energy emissions

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark has announced how the government will deliver the Clean Growth Grand Challenge’s first ‘mission’ to halve the energy use of new buildings by 2030.

Celebrating the Northern Powerhouse in Newcastle, Clark announced a range of measures to place the UK at the forefront of the global shift towards clean growth as part of our Industrial Strategy and outlined how the government will work towards a more stretching target with a reduction of 43 per cent greenhouse gas emissions by 2019 to 2020 compared to 2009 to 2010 levels, potentially delivering £340 million in savings.

As part of this, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy will launch the £18 million Industrial Heat Recovery Support programme, with applications invited in the Autumn, to encourage investment in heat recovery technologies, harnessing the power of heat which would otherwise go to waste to help improve the efficiency of industry and reduce costs.

The Business Secretary also launched the Construction Sector Deal to bring together the construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more affordable places to live and learn that use less energy.

Clark said: “Our new, ambitious target for reducing emission across our central estate shows how this government is continuing to lead the world and rise to the challenge of tackling climate change. We have made significant progress so far, meeting our previous target three years early and saving just over £100 million last financial year as a result.

“The potential savings from this can make a big difference across the wider public sector, with the NHS saving £2 billion over the last decade; money that can be put straight back into frontline services where it’s needed most.”