Events Archive 2005

1 December 2005
Launch of Climate Change Communications Initiative
On 1 December, Secretary of State for Environment, Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, and Minister of State (Climate Change and Environment) Elliot Morley MP, launched the Climate Change Communications Initiative, a new three-year campaign to communicate climate change. UKBCSE Chief Executive, David Green spoke at the launch alongside the Secretary of State, welcoming the initiative. More details can be found at: www.climatechallenge.gov.uk

28 November - 9 December 2005
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal
At the close of last year, the first COP11/MOP1 meeting of the Parties to the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol was held in Montreal. Kirsty Hamilton, UKBCSE International Policy Adviser, was present at the negotiations.

Working with other business groups, Kirsty initiated and co-authored a ‘business statement’, which was presented to the Conference plenary on behalf of the four Business Councils for Sustainable Energy from Australia, Europe, the UK and the US, along with London Climate Change Services. The statement called for a long-term framework for reducing emissions and accelerating investment in low-carbon technologies in a number of key sectors.

28 November 2005
Renewables Connections Event
The Council has worked with Richard Wilson to re-launch this business-to-business networking event. The first event took place on 28 November and it is anticipated that more events will be held throughout 2006.

2-3 November 2005
“International Energy Efficiency Conference: Europe and an Energy Efficient World”
Hosted by the UK Government during its Presidency of the EU, this International Energy Efficiency Conference was held on 2 November 2005. The event drew together examples of best practice in energy efficiency from across the world and UKBCSE Chief Executive, David Green gave a keynote speech on ‘Energy Efficiency & Business Perspectives’. The presentation outlined the main points from the G8 Business and Climate Change conference and provided insights into the UK experience. Also speaking at the conference were Secretary of State, Margaret Beckett MP and Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Energy, DG Tren. View the presentation here.

17-18 October 2005
ACORE - Renewable Energy in America: Policies for Phase II
UKBCSE Chief Executive, David Green, and International Policy Adviser, Kirsty Hamilton, attended the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) conference last autumn and used the opportunity to hold a number of meetings with key individuals in the US Government and others covering the broader political and energy scene. They also met with the Council’s sister organisation, the US Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

5-6 October 2005
G8 Related Conference: “Climate Change - the Business Forecast”
Intended to provide business perspectives on climate change following the Gleneagles summit, the Council played an active role in large elements of this Government sponsored conference. John Roberts CBE, Chairman of the Council and fellow Council CEOs Ian Marchant and Paul Golby all spoke at the conference. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, delivered a keynote speech and Secretary of State for Environment, Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, and Minister of State (Climate Change and Environment) Elliot Morley MP, attended the full conference. The Council also facilitated the participation of the Panel of Chinese Businesses. Finally, UKBCSE Chief Executive, David Green, presented the energy business summary at the final session with the two Secretaries of State.

Speaking at the Conference, the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry, Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, said: “we know we can only lead successfully by working with the business community…which is why events like today and organisations like the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy are so valuable.”

Autumn 2005
Political Party Conferences
The Council was present at the three major political party conferences in Autumn 2005. At the Labour Party Conference the Council held a joint fringe event with SERA on Climate Change. Speaking at the event were Secretary of State for Environment, Margaret Beckett MP, Minister of State for Energy, Malcolm Wicks MP, and UKBCSE Deputy Chairman, Ian Marchant. Hywell Lloyd of SERA chaired the event.

The Council also facilitated the Green Groups’ Reception, attended by Secretary of State (Climate Change and Environment), Elliot Morley MP

At the Conservative Party Conference, the Council held a joint fringe event with the Tory Green Initiative, and Justin Johnson, UKBCSE Head of Policy, spoke alongside Bernard Jenkin, the Shadow Energy Minister, at a PRASEG event. At the Liberal Democrat Party Conference, the Council supported the Green Groups’ Reception.

View photograhs here.

September 2005
UKBCSE/SERA Fringe event at Labour Party Conference
Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Malcolm Wicks MP, Minister of State for Trade & Industry joined the panel at a recent fringe event at the Labour Party Conference, along with Ian Marchant, Deputy Chair of the UKBCSE and Hywel Lloyd, Chair of SERA. Read Margaret Beckett's speech.

07 September 2005
EU ETS Phase II Seminar
On 7 September, UKBCSE held a joint seminar with London Climate Change Services on the Government's consultation on Phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Jill Duggan, the Defra official leading on the consultation spoke, along with Anthony Hobley from LCCS and Simon Skillings from E.On UK, representing the UKBCSE.

The event was invitation-only and a broad range of industry representatives, Government officials and other commentators were present.

The UKBCSE used the event to inform our response to the Government's consultation. The event was kindly hosted by Baker & McKenzie.

June 2005
Climate Change Programme Review: Joint meeting between the UK Power Sector and Green NGO Chief Executives
In the summer, the UKBCSE convened a joint meeting between the CEOs of Britain’s leading energy companies and the Directors of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. The focus of the discussions was on climate change. There was strong agreement that the Government needed to present an ambitious Climate Change Programme with a set of policies to put the UK on a clear pathway to a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

There was also agreement on what some of those policies should be, including a commitment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme beyond 2012, taking forward the energy efficiency agenda across a variety of range such as fiscal incentives and smart metering, and aligning energy with sustainable communities through localised energy generation and enforcing tougher building regulations.

As a result the Chief Executives, along with Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, sent a joint letter to Government urging bold action in these areas. The full letter, along with responses from the Prime Minister and Secretaries of State can be found on the 'Latest News' section of this website.

Since then, UKBCSE has continued to play a role in facilitating discussion between business, Government and environmental groups on practical and ambitious solutions to tackle climate change