MIMA's comment on the Clean Growth Strategy
Today’s Clean Growth Strategy announcement at Plexal in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park by Secretary of State, Greg Clark and Energy Minister, Claire Perry is encouraging, long-awaited and did not disappoint, says MIMA.
Not only do we see MIMA and the EEIG’s aspirational target of bringing homes up to EPC C by 2035 being supported by the Energy Minister and her government but we see a much-needed renewed and reinvigorated commitment to energy efficiency.
With one-third of UK carbon emissions still coming from buildings, MIMA and the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG) has called for an ambitious new buildings infrastructure programme to help the government deliver on its aspirational target - to decarbonise the UK’s buildings, deliver major energy savings to consumers whilst also providing a boost to the UK economy. The EEIG commissioned Frontier Economics report, “Affordable Warmth, Clean Growth”, clearly sets out an ambitious yet practical action plan for the Government to make all homes energy efficient within 20 years. Achieving this goal will require the adoption of world-leading quality standards for retrofitting and constructing homes, area-based schemes led by local authorities, additional funding sources that won’t raise energy bills and financial incentives to encourage households to take up energy-saving measures.
Sarah Kostense-Winterton, Executive Director of MIMA and Secretariat to the EEIG commented "We simply cannot ignore that energy efficiency formed a substantial focus in the Minister’s announcement of an “ambitious, broad and binding” Clean Growth Strategy. Perry quietly rightly said that there is not one silver bullet and everyone has to play their part. We believe we can play a crucial part and work closely with government to deliver a comprehensive Buildings Energy Infrastructure Programme as set out in the Frontier Economics report “Affordable Warmth, Clean Growth” which we will be launching in Parliament on Monday."
“However as part of the EEIG alliance, we have worked hard with government to reach this stage and they are listening and engaged, but now we must move forward to focus on how to deliver and respond to the raft of government’s calls for evidence. We need to evidence how we bring the benefits to consumers, to business; how we can boost the UK economy and create jobs but most of all that everyone across the UK has the best chance of a warm and comfortable home with lower bills.
Now we await the National Infrastructure Commission’s imminent Vision and Priorities publication hoping for further good news."
