In terms of timing, last week’s government decision to slash subsidies that help families and small businesses install solar panels could not have been worse. This year promises to be the hottest on record. At the same time, international negotiations on the establishment of climate change controls are scheduled to reach their peak in Paris in a few months.
The world is looking to developed nations to set an example on how to cut the carbon emissions that are triggering global temperature rises and the British government could once have played an authoritative role in these talks. Unfortunately, David Cameron’s administration has decided, over the last few months, to abandon nearly all its commitments to protecting the environment and to its pledges to create new green technologies that could wean us off our urge to burn fossil fuels.
In June, it announced cuts to the financial support available to developers of new onshore wind turbines, the cheapest form of renewable power available. Now it has followed up this cutback with one that will greatly reduce the financial help that is given to those seeking to install solar panels to generate electric power. Both industries, solar and onshore wind, will inevitably suffer.
It is an unfortunate development, not just from the perspective of national prestige, but in terms of lost opportunity. Britain has the chance to take a lead in developing renewable technologies, including wave and tidal energy plants. Yet within a few months of coming to office, the current Conservative administration has made it clear it wants to have nothing to do with green technology. It is a short-sighted attitude. Britain has much to gain from developing expertise in this field because, sooner or later, the world is going to end up depending on renewable power.
Continued support for green technology, such a solar power, is therefore good for Britain and for the rest of the world.
