Programme, Presentations & Conclusions
Keynote Address:
| Willy Rickett Director General, Energy - DTI |
The Policy Framework to deliver More Sustainable Energy Supply & Use |
| Dr Bernard J Bulkin Commissioner, Sustainable Development Commission |
Economic Regulation and Sustainable Development – Conflict or Alignment? |
| Alistair Buchanan Chief Executive, Ofgem |
How is Ofgem driving sustainable development? Can more still be done? |
| John Wybrew (BEA Chairman) and Mark Hughes Partner, Energy & Utilities, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP |
Focused Questions |
| Gearóid Lane Director of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change, British Gas |
The Domestic Challenge: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of our homes |
| Chris Johnson Operations Director, RWEnPower plc |
Smart Metering - Informing and Empowering Customers |
| Paul Ellis Advisor, Social Responsibility Unit, B&Q |
How the retail sector can help: Selecting innovative products |
SESSION 3: Turning Plans into Reality
| Tom Delay Chief Executive, Carbon Trust |
A Roadmap to deliver significant progress in more Sustainable Energy Use in Industry and Commerce |
| David Shaw Managing Director, Energy&Utilities, Datamonitor |
UK PLC and Sustainability: the Results from a Survey of 3,500 Companies |
| Dr Tony White, MBE Executive Director, Climate Change Capital |
Financing for Sustainable Energy Use in Industry & Commerce |
CONCLUSIONS
This Seminar set out to question whether we have now reached the 'tipping point' where the drive for sustainable energy supply and use is no longer seen as a matter solely for governments, regulators, environmental pressure groups and big energy companies, but also now as a cause for initiative and action on the part of millions of individual consumers.
This Seminar concluded that there is strong evidence of a widespread and growing consumer response to the challenges of climate change and, to this end, more sustainable energy supply and use. Two striking figures illustrate this: the 1.5 million British Gas customers who have recently taken the trouble to fill in a 17-point questionnaire as a basis for energy efficiency surveys of their homes; and the 9.6 million hits on the area of the Homebase website dealing with energy-saving devices and micro-renewables.
Complementing the newfound readiness of individual consumers to take the initiative and act in this regard, we noted the vigorous, growing response of the business sector in addressing the consequent market opportunities with innovative products and services. We see this as being further reinforced by the high-profile commitments of major retailers and other big brand names to reduce their 'carbon footprints'.
Tom Delay of the Carbon Trust demonstrated that attainment of the Government's ambitious long-term carbon reduction targets could only be contemplated if profound progress and change on the supply side is matched by equally radical change and action on the demand side.
Given this, the evidence of an emerging mass consumer response to the threat of climate change and the challenge of sustainability is potentially of great significance. Typically, the well-informed, proactive consumer has considerably greater scope to realise energy efficiency gains than those further up the supply chain - through the choice of the right equipment, used and maintained in the most efficient way.
Looking ahead, this is the aspect of the energy sector that is likely to yield the biggest beneficial advances. The prospective change of dynamic to supply-side leadership in combination with mass consumer action and initiative suggests far-reaching implications: from macro- to micro-scale; from smart metering and intelligent energy management tailored to the needs of individual consumers; and overall, to big advances in the application of new technology and techniques on the demand side. It implies the need for a new regulatory focus, and Alistair Buchanan signalled Ofgem's readiness to address this. It also calls into question the current public policy emphasis on renewables as distinct from low-carbon options, which in many cases represent the best existing choice for consumers.
We should like to record our sincere thanks to the speakers at this Seminar who individually and collectively provided a wealth of relevant information and insights from their different perspectives.