UK climate change programme : memoranda relating to the inquiry submitted to the Committee / Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Transport, and Regional Affairs Committee.
Date:
1999
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: UK climate change programme : memoranda relating to the inquiry submitted to the Committee / Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    37/112 (page 31)
    long-term constraint—fossil fuels are not running out yet, but a change in political will could make the first factor the driver. SOCIAL ISSUES 16. How will different strategies to reduce the impact of energy on the environment affect different groups in society? Price-based instruments, without special safeguards, will be largely irrelevant to the rich and will hammer the poor, and those in isolated communities. 17. How can approaches be developed to reconcile reductions in demand for energy with greater equity in access to the services provided by energy? Improved efficiency, especially if linked to improved services to the poor, would help. Particular attention must be paid to access to capital, both for low energy appliances, and energy efficient materials, but also to efficient production. The planning and design of social housing, whether local authority or housing association, could also be driven by environmental considerations. 18. What will be the health effects of different energy strategies? Air quality improvements should be a significant impact, but it is necessary to note that there is a crucial link between wealth and health. INTERNATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 19. Are future trends in market prices likely to move the UK energy system in the desired direction, and if so how quickly? To the extent that interventions in markets will be required, how far does the UK have the ability to pursue its own energy policies? The answer to the first question is “no”. Price trends seem to suggest that fossil fuels will remain economically attractive, although long-term resource constraints may raise prices, but only on a long timescale at best. Interventions, such as price incentives (tax) or changing standards will be needed. International considerations include UK competitiveness or World Trade Organisation compliance. 20. Should the UK adopt policies to phase out use of fossil fuels in the absence of equivalent action by other countries ? The choice of policy (i.e., phasing out or reducing) will depend on costs. The choice is between some kind of first mover advantage—following on from advantages gained by UK water industry, or the disadvantages following the UK’s loss of lead in coal gasification—or moving second, in which case, how do we know when to move? How much the UK will benefit will also depend on where in the economic cycle the economy is at the time. 21. How should the UK seek to influence the development of policies internationally to limit fossil fuel use? How can a sufficiently wide coalition be formed to obtain agreement on a global carbon tax? The UK must set an example, showing: — that it is possible for countries to develop without being energy intensive, (including helping by transfer of technologies and techniques); and — how countries can learn from the UK’s own example of the damage that can be caused by development that is resource intensive. It is critical that developing countries trust that the environment is not a Western (or Northern) ploy to constrain their development. Should we be looking at a carbon tax at a global level? If so it needs to include account of carbon sinks. Incremental systems, such as international trading, may be easier to achieve. 22. Does research need to demonstrate specific national impacts of global climate change before the people in a given country will be prepared to support strong international action to counter it? Yes. This is especially true for business, but the population at large also needs to learn the issues, and have demonstrated for them the possible impacts. The shift in emphasis in recent press coverage from global warming to increased storminess in the UK may have helped focus the issues in this country.