As the Prime Minister launched her legal intent to see the UK become a zero contributor to climate change, Britain’s biggest manufacturing exporter has said it wants to be part of the solution.
The chemical industry has said business continually strives to use less energy. It has all the commercial and reputational incentive to do so but high energy and climate related policy costs are an increasing barrier to investing in the UK.
Steve Elliott Chief Executive of the Chemical Industries Association said “chemical companies are already on this journey and we welcome the clear target which we hope will also secure action globally. Quite apart from the ever-increasing costs to industry of energy and climate policies, we also want to play our part in meeting society’s expectations of a green future. Since 1990 we have improved our energy efficiency by 42%. And our industries’ products and technologies enable climate solutions which save twice the carbon we emit.
He continued “it is reassuring that the recent Committee on Climate Change advice to Government recognised that carbon and trade intensive foundation industries could suffer without a fair transition to a net zero world. To help make that meaningful, we need to get the balance right between providing support for medium term technological solutions such as industrial carbon capture and use, or storage, and the use of hydrogen”.
Elliott said “In the meantime we need more immediate measures such as access to project credits to help us comply with increasing climate requirements before these step-change technologies are in place. And, of course, addressing UK policy costs which, for example, result in power costs for business which the Government’s own data consistently confirms as the highest in Europe”.
He concluded “If we get that balance right, then the UK chemical industry and its 140,000 skilled workers across the country can help accelerate the delivery of green solutions, benefitting society and the environment”.
