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 26 July 2008
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Sustainable Energy Policy Network

On 24 February 2003 the Government launched its Energy white paper: our energy future - creating a low carbon economy. The White Paper marked a radical change to energy policy, bringing environmental concerns to the heart of policy, by defining a long-term strategic vision for energy policy combining our environmental, security of supply, competitiveness and social goals. It set out the challenges we face on the environment, the decline of our indigenous energy supplies and the need to update our energy infrastructure and describes the policies we need to pursue over the next twenty years and beyond to meet these challenges.

Central to these policies are the four goals for our energy policy:

  • to put ourselves on a path to cut the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions - the main contributor to global warming - by some 60% by about 2050 with real progress by 2020
  • to maintain the reliability of energy supplies
  • to promote competitive markets in the UK and beyond, helping to raise the rate of sustainable economic growth and to improve our productivity
  • to ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

To make delivery of the goals and individual commitments set out in the White Paper a reality, the Sustainable Energy Policy Network (SEPN) was created - a network of policy units from across government departments, the devolved administrations, regulators and key delivery organisations that are jointly responsible for delivering the white paper.

The then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (now BERR) formally launched SEPN on 4th June 2003.  SEPN activity was wound up following publication of the Energy white paper: meeting the energy challenge in May 2007.

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