[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Home - Department of Energy and Climate Change

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Welcome to the website for the Department of Energy and Climate Change

We face unprecedented challenges to our environment, our economy, and the future security of our energy supplies and the decisions we make now will affect the planet and our way of life for generations to come. DECC exists to tackle these challenges.

This site provides information about the Department and about the work we do. If your web browser supports RSS feeds, you can sign up to be kept informed whenever we add major news stories or speeches by our Ministers.

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Latest Developments

Low carbon rewards launch today to save money for homes and businesses - 01 April 2010

The introduction today of two carbon cutting Government incentive schemes will see homes and businesses playing a key role in contributing to UK emissions reductions of at least 34% on 1990 levels by 2020 through improved energy efficiency and small-scale low-carbon electricity. The Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) for organisations and Feed in tariffs (FITs) will help to save money on fuel bills, reduce carbon emissions and generate their own low-carbon electricity.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband said, "From today the rewards for businesses and householders who act to cut their carbon emissions really start to pay off. It’s no longer simply about doing the right thing for the environment, it’s now a sure-fire financial investment."

Government kick-starts renewed push for global climate deal - 31 March 2010

The Government launched a new action plan on international climate change today. "Beyond Copenhagen; The UK Government's International Climate Change Action Plan", details what must be done to build on the progress made at Copenhagen.

The plan sets out the Government's belief that the low carbon transformation can be a major driver of economic growth and job creation - in the UK, in Europe and globally.

Today the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is co-chairing at Downing Street the UN Secretary-General's High Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance - the most significant climate meeting since Copenhagen.

The Government also published plans today that set out how every major department will address the challenge of climate change in the UK.

Low Carbon Skills Consultation - 31 March 2010

DECC has today launched a joint consultation document together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on low carbon skills. The consultation sets out the scale and nature of the low-carbon skills challenge, what government is already doing to tackle it, and seeks views on what more needs to happen.

The strategy includes co-funding the delivery of up to 2,500 apprenticeships in the emerging wind energy sector, in line with the sector’s ambition for the size of its workforce in 2017.

In this video, David Kidney talks about the low carbon skills consultation and what it means for employers and young people.

Joan Ruddock launches Insulate Today - 30 March 2010

Today the launch of ‘Insulate Today’ brings together a group of leading businesses with Sainsbury’s Energy and ACT ON CO2 as part of a pilot scheme to make it easier, cheaper and more appealing for quarter of a million employees to insulate their homes and save hundreds of pounds in reduced energy bills. Devised by we will if you will ‘Insulate Today’ is a collaborative effort from Accenture, Aviva, HSBC, Sainsbury’s, ACT ON CO2, the Energy Saving Trust and EDF Energy.

Joan Ruddock, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change said:

"The Government’s ambition is to see all lofts and cavity walls in the UK insulated by 2015. The ‘Insulate Today’ initiative will make a real contribution towards this target. As an extension of the government’s Act on CO2 campaign, Accenture, Aviva, HSBC and Sainsbury’s are helping their employees live more sustainable lives by offering exclusive insulation services in partnership with Sainsbury’s Energy. Employees will save themselves money and energy as a result."

Progress continues on development of new UK nuclear power - 25 March 2010

Today DECC published draft legislation providing for the creation of a new regulatory body called the Office for Nuclear Regulation (“the ONR”). In addition, the Government has also published two consultation documents relating to the financing of waste and decommissioning:

Alistair Darling on Budget Day (photo by Downing Street)

A Budget for Green Jobs - 24 March 2010

Investment in low carbon technologies was at the heart of the Budget delivered by Chancellor Alistair Darling today. Major low carbon components of the Budget included:

the creation of a Green Investment Bank
an Offshore Wind Infrastructure Competition
and the publication of the Energy Market Assessment [PDF 416KB] for Energy Market reform.

Ed Miliband said,

“ This budget will help propel the UK further and faster towards the green industries of the future.

"The green investment bank, new support for wind turbine manufacturing sites and the first findings of our work to reform the energy market are all winners."

Further details of the announcement are available in the DECC press notice.