ACE

ACE calls on Parliamentary watchdog to investigate Government's broken promises and broken laws.

Back in March the Association for the Conservation of Energy joined forces with democracy campaigners Unlock Democracy, in referring a dossier of Government malpractices to the House of Commons Public Administration Committee.

The dossier – ‘Lost in Translation’ – documents Government breaches of sustainable energy laws dating back over a whole decade. It also contains a detailed examination of the failure by successive Ministers to keep to promises they gave to Parliament.

ACE and Unlock Democracy have stressed that this is just the tip of the iceberg – and that more revelations may soon follow.

Jenny Holland, Head of Campaigns at ACE, said:

“What we have uncovered are repeated breaches of Ministerial promises in the field of sustainable energy and fuel poverty. Reporting requirements have been ignored; clear legal duties have simply been cast aside. The Government tells us nearly every day that climate change is the biggest single issue facing mankind – but laws designed to save energy, reduce our carbon emissions and end the scourge of fuel poverty have been systematically broken.”

Unlock Democracy Director Peter Facey added:

“For us the issue is one of political honesty and the sovereignty of Parliament. If Ministers give assurances to Parliament and then break them, or if laws passed by Parliament are ignored, then our Parliament is demeaned. Worse still, perhaps, the public just sees this as another reason to be cynical about the whole corrupt system – and disengages still further. We hope that Committee Chair Tony Wright MP will ensure that his Committee investigates this matter.”

The full dossier can be found here.

Please lobby your MP to support local sustainable energy solutions

ACE is trying to persuade MPs to sign an EDM (Early Day Motion) promoting wider community involvement in sustainable energy to help tackle climate change.

The “Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill” EDM was tabled in January by MP Alan Simpson, and has so far been signed by over 190 MPs. We hope that with your help we can get even more to sign.

The concept behind both the Bill and the EDM is simple: the need to involve people and communities and councils in combating climate change and fuel poverty. There is general acceptance now that Whitehall is not the only source of good ideas, and so this Bill would enable communities to be involved in drawing up and implementing local Sustainable Energy Plans for their region. These can then draw on local knowledge and expertise as to what works best in their area.

What can you do?

Please write to your MP and ask them to sign EDM 592 “Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill”. Stress how important this Bill is in the flight against climate change, and how individuals and communities must have the opportunity to decide what happens in their neighbourhoods.

The full text of the EDM and the list of MPs who have signed it can be found on Parliament’s website. If you are unsure who your MP is then you can use your postcode to find out.

ACE is promoting the Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill which requires a strategy to be drawn up to ensure that all the UK’s energy needs and carbon reduction requirements are met, as well as providing for security of supply. 

It will require the Secretary of State to ensure that current government sectoral targets are met.  As well as requiring the Secretary of State to set long-term targets for energy efficiency, microgeneration, renewables and the low carbon technologies of combined heat and power and carbon capture and storage. 

Sectoral Targets are very effective in preventing each sector from passing the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions from one to the other.  Furthermore, such an approach could also help to create jobs and regenerate the economy – both of which are vital at the moment. 

On 10 February this year Martin Caton MPtabled an Early Day Motion in support of the Bill (EDM number 851 ) and this currently has over 100 signatures.

Want to help?

Please write to your MP asking him/her to sign EDM 851.

If you do not know who your MP is you can find out here .

And please let us know of any response that you receive. 

Thank you.

ACE is proud to launch its Energy Efficiency Charter ‘Do More with Less ’.

‘Do More with Less' sets out the key policies we want to see introduced by the next Government.  

40% of the UK’s energy is consumed in buildings, which in turn are responsible for around 40% of our carbon emissions.  Our Charter highlights the pivotal role that energy efficiency plays in making our homes warmer and reducing fuel bills.  It also contains concrete suggestions for making our workplaces more energy efficient.  

Better use of our precious energy will reduce our reliance on imported fuel – and will give us the best chance of tackling climate change.  It also means more ‘green’ jobs and more competitive businesses.

In advance of the General Election, every Parliamentary candidate in the country has been invited to support our Charter.  If you too would like to register your support or receive further news about ACE policies, please click here.

Over the next few weeks we’ll also be inviting people to join us for a policy discussion on Twitter – why not follow us?