Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities
Aviva Investors
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Barry Sheerman MP
BIFFA
BioRegional
BT
Caroline Lucas MP
CERAM
Chris Tuppen
CIWEM
Cranfield University
Dalkia
Dinah Nichols CB
eftec
Emma Howard Boyd
Energy Saving Trust
Energy Technologies Institute
Environment Agency
Environmental Industries Commission
Environmental Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network
Forestry Commission
Friends of the Earth
Grant Thornton
Green Alliance
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Ian Liddell-Grainger MP
IEEP
IEMA – Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
Institution of Civil Engineers
Interfaceflor
Jason McCartney MP
John Edmonds
Johnson Matthey
Jonathon Porritt CBE
Kerry ten Kate
Kingfisher
L&Q Group
Landmark Information Group
Lord Oxburgh
Lord Prescott
Lord Teverson
Lord Whitty
Marks & Spencer
Martin Horwood MP
Memset
Michael Meacher MP
Microsoft
MITIE
National Grid
National Union of Students
Nick Robins
Pamela Castle OBE
Pepsico
Peter Ainsworth
Peter Aldous MP
Peter Jones OBE
Philip Wolfe
Philips
Professor Ian Bateman
Professor Paul Ekins
Prologis
Reed Elsevier
Roy Tindle
RSPB
SEPA
Sir John Harman
SKM Enviros
Sky
Sustain
Thames Water
The Co-operative
The Crown Estate
Tim Yeo MP
Tom Delay
TUC
UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UK CEED)
UK Green Building Council
Wendy Alexander
Willmott Dixon Group
Woodland Trust
WSP Environment & Energy
WWF
Business and investors urge MPs to vote for 2030 decarbonisation target
3rd June 2013
Two of the UK’s leading business and investor associations, the Aldersgate Group (AG) and the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), jointly call today on MPs to vote in favour of a target in the Energy Bill that would commit the UK to a near carbon free power sector by 2030. Andrew Raingold, Executive Director of the AG, told the Guardian: “businesses and investors have been loud and clear that such a target would not only reduce costs but provide greater certainty for companies to invest in the development of UK supply chains and jobs. It’s a pro-growth and pro-deficit reduction strategy.”
Simon Howard, Chief Executive of UKSIF, said: “there is significant investor appetite for the UK to be a global leader in profitable low carbon energy solutions, providing the high quality innovation and jobs that the country needs to ensure a future economic recovery. We call on MPs to recognise this and vote in favour of enshrining the 2030 decarbonisation target in the Bill.”
Direct energy into prudent solutions
Responding to an article by Martin Wolf in the Financial Times on “why the world faces climate chaos“, Andrew Raingold, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said that “there is an alternative to watching the rise of greenhouse gases until it is too late”.
In a letter published in the FT on 17th May, Mr Raingold argued that the technologies are available to meet the climate chaos challenge. He said: “analysis from a number of internationally respected organisations, such as the International Energy Agency, demonstrate that the technical challenges of scale and cost reduction can be reasonably circumvented to address energy security, economic development, climate change and universal access to modern energy services. This can be unlocked through active political and business leadership around a sellable vision of a prosperous low carbon economy that Mr Wolf describes, rather than waiting until after the event.”
AG appoints Oliver Dudok Van Heel as new Director
The Aldersgate Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Oliver Dudok van Heel as a new Director where he will be responsible for developing and launching the Group’s New Economy initiative. For 15 years he has supported the private sector in developing, implementing and communicating sustainability strategies and is a Senior Associate of the University of Cambridge’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership. For a full bio, click here.
Oliver said: “I am delighted to join the Aldersgate Group as a Director and lead its New Economy project. Having followed the work of the Group for a number of years, I have been impressed by its ability to find mainstream consensus while promoting the transition towards a low carbon, sustainable future. I look forward to helping the Group and its members define a new economic paradigm focussed on sustainable growth, competitiveness and prosperity.”
Dash for gas would expose UKeconomy to greater risks
Andrew Raingold, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, has said that UK businesses are concerned that a gas-heavy power system would increase exposure to price volatility and energy insecurity. Speaking at theWestminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum on the role of gas in the UK’s electricity market, he said: “it is impossible to predict accurately the price of future energy technologies as it depends on so many variable factors, such as the global supply and demand for gas, the costs of carbon capture technology (CCS) at scale and learning rates for renewable technologies.”
“The challenge for Government is to manage unavoidable uncertainties and hedge against the risk of policy failure. Analysis by E3G demonstrates that if CCS is more expensive than predicted, or we under-deliver on energy efficiency, we might be forced to choose between affordable or low carbon energy further down the line. The costs of a gas intensive power sector in these scenarios could be up to 98% higher.”
Businesses explore opportunities of circular economy
Andrew Raingold, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said that businesses increasingly recognise that they have to act decisively to prevent an impending resource crunch. Chairing the Resource Scarcity and The Circular Economy Conference for Sustainable Business Magazine, he said “We have heard from our speakers today that the resource crunch is not just a major risk for businesses, but also can be a net creator of jobs and growth. The fact that 43% of businesses recognise that they have to revise their product and service offerings, as demonstrated by the presentation by Tom Delay from the Carbon Trust, shows that corporate leaders are slowly waking up to this issue.”
“The speakers today have also emphasised the need for collaboration and partnerships. The resource revolution challenge requires system level change and can rarely by addressed effectively by actors in isolation. That includes a strong and proactive role for Government.”
AG Event: Evolving Energy
World leaders might have taken climate change off the G8 agenda, but investing in a clean energy future remains a priority for business and society. A week before the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, this event will discuss the huge economic opportunities of updating our models of energy generation, supply and ownership.
Speakers for this event will include Dame Vivienne Westwood (Vivienne Westwood Ltd), Amory Lovins (Rocky Mountain Institute), Greg Barker (Minister of State for Energy & Climate Change) and Yvo de Boer (KPMG) amongst others. This event has been organised in partnership with the Trillion Fund.
This event has received an overwhelming response and is now full.
The above event will be sponsored by Dalkia.
External events:
-The Eco Technology Show: smart business conference (14-15 June 2013)
Andrew Raingold, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group will be chairing this event at the Brighton Centre. The session will discuss the theme of smart business and innovation for sustainable growth of future cities. For more information and to register, click here. For a complimentary place, please use the promotional code ALDG52.
-BASE London (11 July 2013)
The Aldersgate Group is helping to support Base London, which will bring together a 1000 public and private sector professionals who are driving forward the transformation of London’s built environment and infrastructure. The Aldersgate Group will host an afternoon panel session (2pm – 3.45pm) on “local planning for global megatrends”. More details to follow shortly.
