Renewable energy growth generates opportunities for sustainable technologies

Posted: 11/06/2014

Following the publication of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change in April 2014, clean energy is now firmly on the environmental agenda.

Concluding four years of intense scientific collaboration by hundreds of authors from around the world, this report responds to the request of the world's governments for a comprehensive, objective and policy neutral assessment of the current scientific knowledge on mitigating climate change.

It has been extensively reviewed by experts and governments to ensure quality and comprehensiveness and the quintessence of this work, the Summary for Policymakers, was approved line by line by member governments at the 12th Session of IPCC WG III in Berlin, Germany in April 2014.

This latest report “Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change” assessed “a substantially larger knowledge base of relevant scientific, technical and socio-economic literature” than previous reports.  It focuses on the risks of climate change impact and paints a sobering picture of the future of the planet if behaviour remains unchanged.  It champions “adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development” as the tools to tackle our fossil fuel challenges.

The report emphasises improved energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources.  It suggests that, at a national level, changes in favour of sustainability will be most successful “when they reflect a country’s own visions”. 

UK Government support for renewable energy

With over £31 billion of private investment injected between 2010 and 2013, and continued Government support for strong investment in renewables and cleantech, the UK’s vision is clear: clean, sustainable energy production from now on.  

Three key statistics published in April 2014 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show steady and consistent growth in the renewable energy sector which should leave investors in no doubt of which way the wind is blowing:

• renewables accounted for 17.6% of electricity generation in the final quarter of 2013 which constituted a 5% increase from the equivalent 2012 quarter’s statistic;
• electricity generated from offshore wind rose 46% and onshore by 36% from the previous year;
• generation from bioenergy increased by 23% from the previous year and total electricity generated from renewables in the final quarter of 2013 was up by 33% from the equivalent 2012 statistic.

For further information about how Penningtons Manches can support businesses of all sizes in these fast-changing areas, click here. 

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