Ministers urged to wriggle out of energy targets
September 4th 2007

Britain has no hope of meeting the EU 2020 renewables target and would be better advised to find new ways of interpreting the target, according to an internal briefing paper for ministers obtained by The Guardian.

If pushed, the UK may be able to achieve 9% of energy from renewables by 2020 according to officials at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform but this would cost the economy £4 billion a year.

As it stands the UK is more likely to achieve 5% by 2020, dropping behind the EU average of 7% and sinking behind Germany's 13%, casting doubt on Government claims that the UK is leading the world on climate change.

With the European Commission working out how to reach the 20% target agreed in Spring, DBERR officials are said to be fearful that Britain could be told to achieve 16% - which it describes as seriously challenging. Ministers were reportedly asked to consider, "what options there are for statistical interpretations of the target that would make it easier to achieve."

The paper is also said to reveal that officials are keen to reduce the emphasis on renewable energy and look more closely at alternatives such as nuclear.

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