UK warned not to abandon low-carbon technology drive

The CCC - set up to report on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions - recommended that the UK must protect funding for green industries and identified offshore wind, carbon capture and storage and smart grids among the six priority areas that should be nurtured in order for the UK to meet its ambitious carbon-reduction targets.

The UK government has committed to an 80% cut in carbon emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2050. The CCC said that reducing current levels of funding - around £550m per year - on the development of clean electricity or energy-efficient buildings would risk the UK missing its carbon budgets and also any opportunities to bolster a new green economy after the recession.

Professor Julia King, a committee member, said that the case for action was strong. "With adequate funding, new policies and strengthened delivery arrangements, we would expect UK firms to take leading roles in the development of key technologies, driving down emissions to meet carbon budgets and targets and fulfilling the new government's clear objective to build a low-carbon economy.

"We urge the government to put the appropriate low-carbon technology support arrangements in place to unlock environmental and wider economic benefits."

The committee highlighted offshore wind as having the lowest cost path to decarbonising the electricity grid and meeting the UK government's target to source 15% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. This will require the construction of 13GW of capacity, at a cost of up to £50m per year in research and development. Further down the line, the UK could also use its leading position in marine engineering to harness up to 65GW of wave and tidal energy in the seas around the country.

Other priorities identified by the CCC include using the UK's well-established CO2 transportation network to build carbon capture and storage for power plants, which could reduce CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel power stations by up to 90% by storing the gas underground. Smart meters and smart grids will help balance electrical loads and, in particular, as more electric vehicles hit the UK's roads in the coming decades and need charging from mains supplies.

The CCC added that the government should protect the £230m initiative to subsidise the uptake of electric cars and £30m to establish a national battery charging network. To meet the CCC's target of 1.7m electric vehicles on the road by 2020, the government needs to invest up to £800m.

Finally, the CCC called for government support for aviation, for the development of advanced wings and engines, as well as investigation of radical new technologies (such as blended wings) that could help reduce the industry's carbon footprint.

The CCC report is published in the wake of government announcements of £34m of cuts to projects aimed at developing low-carbon technology in the UK.