Climate Change Bill [HL]

I apologise for jumping up before the noble Lord, Lord Teverson. I thought that I had the answer to the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale, without going through 12 pages of speaking notes. I think that there would be support for that. On renewables, the carbon reduction commitment aims to incentivise energy use among organisations covered by the scheme. Incentives to change the way in which energy is generated are already provided through the renewables obligation and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. We do of course want to encourage the uptake of renewable energy. However, where the carbon savings from renewables are already counted by supplier schemes, perhaps in the form of renewables obligation certificates, there would be double counting if the same units of renewable electricity could count towards the CRC targets. Therefore the proposed approach is to ensure simply that CRC participants do not double count emissions savings. We propose, however, that participants in the CRC may count renewable electricity, generated on site, if it is not counted against targets in the renewables obligation. This approach demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the CRC delivers additional carbon savings over and above those that the suppliers are required to deliver under the renewables obligation, and to helping to encourage the further development of on-site renewable energy. The proposals have already been the subject of wide consultation, and the Government will publish their response to the latest consultation in February. I hope that that deals with the point about the commitment to renewables. Nothing in the clause is anti-renewables; there is simply the caveat of ensuring that renewables are not double counted. I take on board the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Vinson. He is absolutely right about the base load. He commented on the Government’s paper on nuclear energy, for which I am grateful. I am not sure whether I have given the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, an answer here or whether I gave it when speaking to other clauses. If I have not, we may be coming up to it in our debates on other clauses in the list.