Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
6 Climate Change and Other Atmospheric Emissions
6.1 Introduction
6.1.1 Local, national and global effects on air and climate have been assessed for the construction,
operation and de-commissioning of the proposed wind energy development.
6.2 Policy Background
6.2.1 The EU, UK and Scottish governments have recently published significant amounts of new
policy and legislation to support the urgent and pressing need to reduce carbon emissions. In
brief these are:
• In March 2007, the European Union member states agreed to adopt a binding target
of 20% of EU energy consumption to come from renewables by 2020 (Directive
2009/28/EC). This target includes all energy consumption and is not restricted to
electricity. The contribution which will come from the UK (i.e. the target level for the
UK) has been set at 15%.
• The UK Government has also set a domestic goal of reducing CO 2 emissions to
20% below 1990 levels by 2010 and in 2006 launched the UK Climate Change
Programme. This programme outlines the target areas and policies through which it
aims to achieve this domestic target.
• Following the assent of the UK Climate Change Act 2008 on 28 October 2008, the
Scottish Government has now passed the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill (SP Bill
17) which puts into statute the Scottish Government proposals aiming for an 80%
reduction in Scotland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, including an
interim target of a 50% reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels for CO 2 (Climate
Change (Scotland) Act 2009).
• On 26 November 2008 the UK Energy Act 2008 received Royal Assent. The new
Act implements the UK energy policy that emerged out of the Energy Review 2006
and the Energy White Paper 2007, namely to tackle climate change, reduce CO 2
emissions and ensure secure, clean and affordable energy. Amongst a suite of
measures this Act introduces new legislative requirements that will affect all areas of
energy investment in the UK from oil and gas to nuclear and renewable energy.
• Of additional significance in this Act is ‘banding’ to existing ‘Renewables Obligations’
on all UK electricity suppliers. This requires a supplier to provide 10% of their
electricity from new renewable sources by 2010 and 15% by 2015. The Energy Act
2008 introduces banding to strengthen the existing regime and support different
renewable technologies in the UK. Generators that fail to meet their targets will be
forced to pay a 'buy-out price', which is effectively a financial penalty. The primary
purpose of this obligation is to assist the UK to meet its National and International
November 2010 Chapter 6 Page 1
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