20 December 2011

Demanding less: why we need a new politics of energy

A new approach to thinking about energy which focuses on demand as well as supply has been suggested by a new report launched last week by the Green Alliance. The report was co-authored by Dr Nick Eyre, leader of the ECI’s energy research team and specialist in the field of energy demand. The report suggests that the current political consensus - that ever increasing requirements for energy can be solved by substituting high carbon energy with low carbon equivalents - will not adequately solve the energy crisis.

In practice action on energy demand is already important. The report identifies that "Improvements in energy efficiency and restructuring of energy demand across the UK economy now contribute about four times as much to UK carbon emissions reductions as the gas, nuclear and renewable programmes combined." But even this is inadequate to meet climate goals as the promised low carbon supply options fail to meet earlier expectations. We therefore need to get serious about reducing demand and "should put as much if not more, emphasis on energy demand reduction as we do on energy supply". However the political focus continues to be on decarbonising energy supply.

The report suggests that to get serious about reducing demand, a joined up approach to policy is required by Government. It is not merely the role of the Department for Energy and Climate Change to tackle energy demand, but also policies and incentives relating to food, planning and trade.

It would also mean we need to recognise and reduce the embodied energy in the goods and services we import. Individuals should be helped to make lower carbon choices whenever possible, and policy should be directed towards improving visibility of the linkages between what we do and the energy we consume.

The full report can be downloaded from the Green Alliance

Willis, R. and Eyre, N. (2011) Demanding less: why we need a new politics of energy. Report for the Green Alliance.