High level ministerial line up for UKBCSE National Conference

16 May 2003

In her first public speech since the publication of the Government's Energy White Paper Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will outline the Government plans for delivering the vision set out in the White Paper.

Lord Whitty, Minister for Sustainable Energy, will set out the key role the Government expects energy efficiency and combined heat and power to play in delivering the Government's goal of a 60 per cent reduction in UK carbon emissions.

Both ministers are speaking at the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s first annual conference on Tuesday 20 May.¹

Last week's figures, released by the UN, show that greenhouse gas emissions within Europe are increasing. This indicates the scale of the challenge facing us. In the UK we have set ourselves the target of making a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050 - a challenging, but achievable goal. Delivering this target will require new thinking, a new approach to energy policy and investment in new policies for the longer term as much as investment of money.

David Green, Chief Executive of the UKBCSE says:

“We can’t afford to continue with ‘business as usual’ approach.’ The UK has placed itself at the forefront of tackling climate change. But progress is needed across all government departments in order to deliver the policies it has been developing for the past two years. If we are to meet the challenging targets outlined in the Energy White Paper we need to develop flexible market measures that allow all sustainable energy technologies to thrive enabling carbon reductions to be delivered cost effectively.“

The UKBCSE brings together high level support from the UK energy sector. It works closely with the US and Australian Businesses Councils for Sustainable Energy, as well as E5 - the EU wide sustainability group, to secure progressive polices and measures that will enable global action by businesses to tackle climate change.

Notes to Editors

1. The UKBCSE National Conference: 09.00, Tuesday 20 May, Mountbatten Suite, QE11 Conference Centre, Westminster.

The Secretary of State will speak at 09.40, the Minister for Sustainable Energy will speak at 15.30 and the Council’s patron Peter Mandelson MP will be making his remarks at the evening drinks reception at around 17.00. Media welcome.

For further information contact

David Green, Chief Executive, UKBCSE
Tel: 020 7976 6655

Russell Marsh, Head of Policy, UKBCSE
Tel: 020 7976 6655
Mob: 07941 953634

Cherry Farrow, Media,
Mob: 07739 573932