New Clause 31 - Promotion of reductions in carbon emissions: gas transporters and suppliers
Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill
6:15 pm
Gregory Barker (Shadow Minister (the Environment), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Bexhill and Battle, Conservative)
I have already stated this afternoon that Conservative Members consider that there is a case for creating a much more holistic and flexible approach to energy regulation. I certainly recognise that in respect of the energy efficiency commitment from 2008 to 2011 the Minister’s proposal to provide greater flexibility and the type of measures that suppliers can employ to meet their targets, such as microgeneration, renewables, smart metering and behavioural measures, is welcome. I understand that DEFRA Ministers have agreed that we should be able to take the opportunity to enable microgeneration and other carbon reduction measures to be counted, allowing the EEC to become a much more innovative and flexible instrument in the future. We want to encourage flexibility and innovation, so I support this small measure. I would like it to be accepted as a principle and extended to the whole energy regime.