Major Shift in UK Energy Policy Ahead of UN Conference

energy and climate policyMore big news out of the UK this week with the expected announcement of a major shift in energy policy. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amber Rudd, the UK’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary is making a major speech on the country’s energy policy wednesday. She’s expected to highlight a major governmental shift to nuclear and natural gas power, which would be a large change from the UK’s previous focus on wind and solar energy.

Prime Minister David Cameron once notably pledged to create the “greenest government ever” but has more recently pulled back on his generous subsidies for wind and solar power. This has drawn heavy criticism from environmentalists and renewable technology investors.

With a steady focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the new policy will replace coal-fired power stations with gas-fired ones in a cost effective measure. “Gas is central to our energy secure future. In the next 10 years, it’s imperative that we get new gas-fired power stations built,” Mrs. Rudd is expected to say in the speech.

Just two weeks after Mrs. Rudds speech, the United Nations Foundation will meet in Paris to complete a new global climate agreement. Governments, Civil Society Groups, Businesses, Scientists, Citizens and Innovators will all convene in Paris to address head-on the role that everyone must play in combatting climate change. Their campaign “Earth to Paris” is designed to highlight the connection between people and the planet.

However, it’s no secret that governments and world leaders have some of the biggest roles to play in addressing the threat of climate change. The UK is the sixth largest producer of wind power in the world and onshore wind farms produce around 5% of the country’s energy.

The UK government has famously provided $800 million in subsidies to these wind farms, and with the recent change in policy, will cease those funds a year earlier than planned. David Cameron’s government has also made a push towards exploring for shale gas – the controversial process known as ‘fracking.’ Both of these decisions have drawn anger and criticism from investors and environmentalist citizens.

The UK has always been something of a world leader in terms of climate policy. It’s discouraging to see the wind farm subsidies being pulled, but the country continues to march in the right direction.

At the UN conference in Paris, world leaders as well as droves of citizens will continue to push the global consciousness in that direction. Climate change isn’t just a political problem, it’s a world problem, and it’s going to take the entire world to solve it.