Tory MEPs defy David Cameron over greenhouse gas targets

By Fiona Harvey, UK Guardian David Cameron is facing a revolt from Conservative members of the European parliament against the coalition's environmental policies, as they try to scupper a proposed toughening of Europe's climate targets.

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The revolt of the MEPs is an embarrassment for the prime minister, who has committed Britain to some of the most ambitious greenhouse gas targets in the world and staked his reputation on leading "the greenest government ever". Tomorrow the European parliament will vote on whether to toughen the EU's emissions-cutting target from 20% reductions by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, to a 30% cut. The commitment to a 30% cut is in the coalition agreement, and has won support from other member states.

The Probable Cost of UK Renewable Electricity Subsidies 2002-2030

By John Constable, Lee Moroney, Renewable Energy Foundation As part of its research program, REF has carried out a study of the costs and implied oncosts of the UK Renewable Electricity subsidies, the results of which indicate that the total cost of the subsidies to renewable electricity generators would be in the region of £100bn by 2030.1 Following a request for information, this figure was cited in the Sunday Telegraph on the 12th of June.2 In the same article the Department of Energy and Climate described our calculation as ‘speculative’, though they did not provide any alternative figure. In view of this interest, and the Department’s response, we feel it would be helpful to provide an explanation of the reasoning underpinning the estimate, and in the following note we will show that the £100bn figure is a reasoned estimate grounded both in actual costs to date and in government’s own projections of the levels of renewable electricity needed to meet the 2020 targets. Furthermore, we will show that it is consistent with the estimates of the Government’s own independent advisor, the Committee on Climate Change.

Analysis: Germany goes back to black in snub to green power

By Peter Dinkloh and Christoph Steitz, Reuters Germany is set to turn back to coal, gas and imports to fill the energy chasm left by its fast-track exit of nuclear power, refusing to boost green power and threatening its efforts to lower emissions. The government permanently shut eight nuclear power plants immediately after the Fukushima crisis in Japan, and is closing the remaining nine in stages up to 2022. However, Europe's largest economy is shying away from pushing for renewable energy to replace those plants, even though opinion polls show people are willing to accept higher bills to support green power.

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